Chicago The Musical — Attraction in New York

To put it bluntly, this show is bad. With that being said, I felt the performers were great. I had no issue with the acting, the dancing or the singing. This is a talented cast. Unfortunately, the talent is wasted on a very poorly written and completely unentertaining show.

I went into this with no expectations at all. I happened to find cheap tickets and enjoy live theater so I went. I have never seen the movie and literally didn't even do any research to see what the show is about. I also did not look at any reviews prior.

I went in completely cold and a completely open mind, excited to see a live show.

But like I said, it is quite bad. The storyline was uninteresting, there was no character development. I felt myself having no feelings toward any of the characters. I did not care about the plot's outcome. There was nothing to suck me in. The show felt like a series of random song and dance numbers with a story thrown in there just to give the excuse of having a show.

And the best musical numbers were "very good" at best. Nothing, I would consider to be "great." And some numbers were boring and uneventful.

Even the finale was just OK. There were better musical numbers in the middle of the show.

And that might just be on the choreography. Again, you could definitely see plenty of talent on the stage so I don't think the performers are the issue. It's just overall not a well written show and the choreography could have been better. I was expecting much more grandness I guess. I didn't get it.

My girlfriend and I contemplated leaving at intermission but I felt I paid for the ticket so I wanted to see the whole thing through hoping the second half would get better. It did not.

As for the theater, it is a fairly intimate theater with only one (very small) bathroom (one for men and one for women) which is located on the mezzanine level. I recommend going to the bathroom before arriving to the theater or arriving early. At intermission, if you need to go, go fast to beat the line. And yes, orchestra ticket holders will need to go upstairs to get to the bathroom.

But otherwise, the theater was fine, the acoustics were good. I would see another show at this theater, but...

Living in NYC I see at least a dozen Broadway shows a year. I saw Chicago for the first time about 20 years ago and loved it. I’ve been dying to go back for years now. I was excited to take my daughter to see it for the first time tonight. She loves musical theater and is familiar with much of the music from Chicago. There are several iconic songs that are classic Broadway and are always memorable. What a disappointment this current production was! I’ve seen better dinner theater. The theater itself is old and cramped. Many NYC theaters are. I can deal with it for a great show, but not this. The orchestra which was on stage and somewhat involved in the show, was great. But it took up the majority of the stage. Maybe that’s why they put nothing into creating a real set. The two main actresses are clearly talented but too old for the parts they played, making it very unconvincing. Both Roxy and Velma look like grandmothers. Hot bodied grandmas but still not young enough for these roles. I actually found all the performances lackluster and flat, the acting, the singing, and the dancing which I remember standing out in the earlier production. I’m not sure if it was the sound system or the lack of energy but I felt like I was watching a movie at home with the volume too low or no surround sound. Lack of energy (and effort) really sums up this production. The waiter singing “Mr. Cellophane man” at Ellens Stardust Diner was more entertaining than the rendition in the show. The stage was constantly black... costumes, props, set... in never changed with the exception of a ladder swinging out once in a while. The costumes looked more like stripper wear than sexy 1920s. If you weren’t familiar with the plot you probably wouldn’t have even known when or where it was set. Other than throwing on a blazer there were no costume changes. Lazy, lazy, or just low budget? I still can’t believe how much I paid for this mediocrity and that’s with a discounted ticket. This show has seen it’s day. Save your money. Hopefully it will close and somewhere down the road someone will properly revive it to its...

It was cold in NYC but the show was Hot. Great performances by the whole cast. Everyone sounded great! To our surprise, the actor who played Billy Flynn was the same actor we saw about a month ago playing Lola in Kinky Boots. The actress who played Roxie was a dead ringer for a young(er) Shirley McClain circa 1960s and has wonderful stage presence. The band was spot on (although they did drown out the actors in a few places) and interacted with the actors which was "refreshing" from the norm.

There are no fancy sets here nor are they needed. The stage is painted black with the band upstage on an ascending bandstand. The actors/ensemble, and orchestra's talents are all you need to envelope you into the the storyline.

The not so great: The theatre itself falls way short of the others we've attended. So much so that it's on the verge of being an embarrassment. It's run down and in bad need of a coat of paint and new fabric. The bathrooms were downright disgusting.

Everyone from the ticket takers to vendors were very friendly and personable. Top notch.

If you attend in the winter make sure you either get there early so you can be sheltered inside from the bitter cold or hang out somewhere warm until the doors open. You don't want to be waiting on the street in line in 15° weather! Also fill up on either lunch or dinner because people were paying a ridiculous $5 for 10 pringles and about the same for a bottle of (50 cent) water which is obnoxious.

Apart from the side box seats which have a limited view there isn't a bad seat in the house. Whether you pay additional $$ is your choice but that money would be better spent on a nice lunch/dinner before or after the show.

Great show which you'll...