Classical Concert Reviews Cinci

The Cincinnati Pops Orchesra opened its 2024 slate of concerts with a fun and exciting concert staging of the 1975 John Kander and Fred Ebb musical Chicago. Among the most well-known and longest running Broadway shows of all time, it is full of memorable songs that have been mainstays of pop culture for over 50 years, brought to life by guest conductor Rob Fisher and a stellar cast of Broadway heavyweights.
Tari Kelly as Velma Kelly possessed the dramatic flair of Sutton Foster and Chita Rivera to her performance, particularly in All That Jazz and I Can’t Do It Alone. Dylis Croman as Roxie Hart brought her character’s deceptively sweet yet vain nature to the fore in her interpretations of Roxie and Funny Honey, with the vocal charm of Gwen Verdon and Ann Reinking, of whom Croman was a student and protégé.
Lewis Cleale, most famous for his roles as Joseph Smith and Jesus in the Book of Mormon on Broadway, brought a dynamic and inviting performance as Billy Flynn, the lawyer who is only in it for the money. Emily Skinner, in the smaller role of Mama Morton, also served as an occasional narrator and emcee, along with Maestro Fisher.
Matthew Deming also pulled double duty in the roles of Amos and Mary Sunshine. In the latter, he possessed a powerhouse countertenor voice, while his more sweet-natured side was on display in Mister Cellophane, in a baritone reminiscent of Matthew Broderick and Sean Hayes.
One drawback to having only five singers on stage is the absence of a chorus and a smaller amount of spoken dialogue between songs, which felt like missing ingredients, especially for bigger numbers like Cell Block Tango and We Both Reached For the Gun. But it was a very innovative and inventive workaround nonetheless. @cincysymphony brought the score vividly to life in a new version for full orchestra. I hope the Pops will continue to do more of these concert stagings of musicals to bring them to a wider audience in Cincinnati.