Chicago [Original Cast]

by Chicago / O.B.C.

Overview

Chicago, the 1975 Broadway musical, is based on a 1926 Broadway play written by Maurine Watkins, a journalist and court stenographer who, in turn, based it on the true story of a woman accused of murdering her lover, but acquitted despite her guilt in a blaze of publicity machinations and deceitful lawyering in the Prohibition Era, gang-dominated city of the title. The show is the work of a group of veteran theater professionals, all of whom have gone a while without a Broadway hit. Director/choreographer/co-librettist Bob Fosse, perhaps the biggest influence on the work (but the one whose efforts are hardest to appreciate on the cast album), most recently scored on Broadway with Pippin in 1972 and seems to have conceived the project as a vehicle for his ex-wife, Gwen Verdon, last seen in their last collaboration, Sweet Charity, in 1966. Fosse took the project to the songwriting team of composer John Kander and lyricist (and making his debut as a co-librettist) Fred Ebb, who have worked steadily, but not had a hit, since Cabaret in 1966. Chita Rivera, playing the part of another murderess, a role built up to co-starring status in this version of the story, has been on the West Coast working in television; her last Broadway hit was Bye Bye Birdie in 1960. Jerry Orbach, playing the shyster, has been off the boards since Promises, Promises in 1969. All of them must have been hungry for a hit, and they may have found it in Chicago, which, despite being half a century old, couldn't seem more timely in the year following the squalid conclusion of the Watergate scandal. On disc, the dominant force is Kander & Ebb's score (with a few lines of Fosse and Ebb's dialogue thrown in to give a sense of the plot), and as he did in Cabaret, Kander uses the excuse of the 1920s setting to write pastiches of '20s pop music styles, including lots of Dixieland jazz and Tin Pan Alley pop. (Sometimes, the references are specific: "All I Care About," the lawyer's facetious denial that he's interested in anything but "love," is written and performed in the manner of '20s star Ted Lewis, known for his catch phrase, "Is everybody happy?" Orbach asks instead, "Is everybody here? Is everybody ready?") Cabaret's setting in Weimer Germany with the Nazis looming also allowed Ebb to indulge his taste for sarcasm, and the same thing is true -- even if the scene is a bit less tragic -- for this Roaring Twenties locale. Fosse has abetted these approaches by structuring the production as a series of vaudeville acts, telling the already cheaply sensational story through a dated theatrical framing device. So, not only is every character a liar, a murderer, or a fool, but also it's all show biz! This actually makes Verdon somewhat miscast, even if the show was designed with her in mind, since she has a sincere and winning manner, as she did in Sweet Charity, that is at odds with her character's toughness and willingness to manipulate everyone around her. The extended spoken portion of her title song, "Roxie," in which she tries to explain why she is the way she is, doesn't really convince. Also, Ebb's mere crankiness peeks through his cynicism, notably in "Class," in which two characters who have none nevertheless complain that it has disappeared lately. That is followed by the final number for the two scot-free "killer-dillers," "Nowadays," in which Verdon and Rivera praise their tawdry world and note that "in 50 years or so" things may change. Of course, those 50 years or so now have passed, and the makers of Chicago want us to know that nothing's changed; if anything, things have gotten worse. But with only Richard Nixon, not the Adolf Hitler of Cabaret, to consider, that may be a stretch. Chicago uses the '70s hangover following the '60s idealism, a world presided over, until recently, by a crook, to trot out some snazzy vaudeville routines and give them the illusion of intellectual heft. As one song title has it, it wants simultaneously to "Razzle Dazzle" us, but also to let us in on the trick. Once again, the headlines proclaim that the guilty have gotten off; on this album, Chicago sets that story to music effectively (and, on the stage, Fosse makes it dance). ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	10/06/2009
Label:	Masterworks Broadway
UPC:	0886975620920
Rank:	81639

Tracks

1. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Overture  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
2. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~All That Jazz  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
3. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Funny Honey  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
4. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Cell Block Tango  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
5. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~When You're Good To Mama  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
6. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~All I Care About  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
7. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~A Little Bit of Good  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
8. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~We Both Reached for the Gun  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
9. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Roxie  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
10. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~I Can't Do It Alone  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
11. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~My Own Best Friend  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
12. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Me and My Baby  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
13. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Mr. Cellophane  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
14. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~When Velma Takes the Stand  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
15. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Razzle Dazzle  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
16. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Class  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
17. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~Nowadays  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos
18. Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville, musical play~All That Jazz (Reprise)  - Richie Blakin  - Candy Brown  - Ralph Burns  - Christopher Chadman  -  Cheryl Sue Dolby  -  Chicago Cast Ensemble  -  Chicago Pit Orchestra  - Cheryl Clark  - Graciela Daniele  - Didier C. Deutsch  - Fred Ebb  - Gene Foote  - Bob Fosse  - Ray Errol Fox  - Gary Gendell  - Kevin Hodge  - Peter Howard  - Richard Korthaze  - Stanley Lebowsky  - Barney Martin  - Mary McCarthy  - M. O'Haughey  - Jerry Orbach  - Michon Peacock  - Phil Ramone  - Chita Rivera  - Charlene Ryan  - Nancy Sacks  - Ron Schwinn  - Roxanne Slimak  - Paul Solen  - Pamela Sousa  - Martha Swope  - Burt Szerlip  - Gwen Verdon  - Michael Vita  - Tony Walton  - Leon Zervos

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pamela Sousa   Primary Artist,Vocals
Graciela Daniele   Primary Artist,Vocals
Candy Brown   Primary Artist,Vocals
Michon Peacock   Primary Artist,Vocals
Barney Martin   Primary Artist,Vocals
Richard Korthaze   Primary Artist,Vocals
Mary McCarty   Primary Artist
Gwen Verdon   Primary Artist,Vocals
Cheryl Clark   Primary Artist,Vocals
Chita Rivera   Primary Artist,Vocals
Chita Rivera & Boys   Primary Artist
Jerry Orbach   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jerry Orbach, Gwen Verdon, M. O'Haughey & Company   Primary Artist
Gwen Verdon & Boys   Primary Artist
M. O'Haughey   Primary Artist,Vocals
Chicago Cast Ensemble   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Chita Rivera & Company   Primary Artist
Fred Ebb   Primary Artist
John Kander   Primary Artist
Michael Vita   Vocals
Gene Foote   Vocals
Paul Solen   Vocals,Vocals
Gary Gendell   Vocals
Ron Schwinn   Vocals,Vocals
Chicago Pit Orchestra   Orchestra
Charlene Ryan   Vocals
Mary McCarthy   Vocals
Christopher Chadman   Vocals
Stanley Lebowsky   Music Direction,Musical Director
Bob Fosse   Director

Technical Credits

Stan Freberg   Composer
Richard Adler   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Mark Mancina   Composer
Jerry Ross   Composer
Martin Richards   Producer
Anthony Harrison, Jr.   Reissue Design
Roxanne Slimak   Art Direction
Nancy Sacks   Package Design
Jules Fisher   Lighting
Ira Bernstein   Producer
Patricia Zipprodt   Clothing/Wardrobe
Cheryl Sue Dolby   Liner Notes
Abe Jacob   Sound Design
Martha Swope   Photography
Bob Heimall   Design
Ray Errol Fox   Liner Notes
Tony Walton   Artwork,Cover Art,Cover Design
Trevor Rabin   Composer
John Kander   Composer
Bob Fosse   Book,Choreographer
Kevin Hodge   Restoration
Fred Ebb   Book,Composer,Lyricist
Peter Howard   Dance Arrangement
George Gershwin   Composer
Leon Zervos   Remastering
Joseph Harris   Producer
Janet Gari   Composer
Didier C. Deutsch   Liner Notes,Reissue Producer
David Shire   Composer
Leonard Bernstein   Composer
Leslie Bricusse   Composer
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky   Composer
Phil Ramone   Engineer,Producer
Michel Legrand   Composer
Burt Szerlip   Associate Engineer
Harold Rome   Composer
Miklos Rozsa   Composer
Ralph Burns   Orchestration
Richie Blakin   Engineer