Cuba Gooding Jr and Ruthie Henshall help to bring the razzle dazzle of Kander and Ebb’s musical back to the West End – but what have critics made of Chicago’s return to the West End?
The Guardian: *** “while it is done with great professional skill, it is beginning to resemble an animated corpse.”
The Telegraph: **** “This is a show with just the right amount of razzle-dazzle and which knows when to turn down the dial to give its audience more reflective moments.”
The Stage: ** “It’s funny that a piece about the transience of popularity is still exactly the same 21 years later, and still as popular as ever. But the musical is at odds with its production: one a fierce, vital satire on fame and patriarchy; the other a stiff, ossified antique.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “Despite its flaws, though, with music so iconic, a creative blueprint so enduring, and a cast this strong, Chicago‘s latest outing will be a firm crowd favourite.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ** “A musical about showbusiness like this, however, should be a bit more, well, showy.”
British Theatre.com: **** “It’s great to see Chicago back in the West End. It’s certainly a show that enjoy revisiting every now and again and I’m sure that this revival will be a crowd pleaser.”
The Reviews Hub: *** 1/2 “Combining Kander’s musical mastery and Ebb’s witty, cynical lyrics with glitzy glamour and high-kicking dancing, Chicago remains hard to resist, however often it reappears on stage or screen and it looks set for another successful run here.”
Time Out: *** ” the show retains a classy edge and strong fundamentals, not least because of the high kickin’ choreography, styled after that of the show’s original director Bob Fosse.”
British Theatre Guide: “As one might expect from someone so experienced, Gooding is a fine actor whose charm overcomes some limitations on the song and dance front.”
Chicago will play at the Phoenix Theatre is currently booking until the 6th October 2018. To book tickets click here or visit: Encore Tickets, Ticketmaster.co.uk, See Tickets.com, ATG Tickets, Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk ,Love Theatre.com and From the Box Office.