Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Takarazuka’s CHICAGO impressively recreates the Broadway revival, step-by-step

• By drediman
• July 25, 2016
• No Comments

This past week, there were two productions of Chicago in town. Of course, you’re likely familiar with the current long-running revival of the Kander and Ebb musical that’s celebrating its staggering 20^th anniversary on Broadway this year. The other production of Chicago played at the David H. Koch Theater as part of this year’s Lincoln Center Festival and comes by way of Takarazuka, the renowned all-female Japanese theater company that specializes in lavish musical entertainment.

Performed in Japanese with English surtitles, Takarazuka’s Chicago is essentially a carbon copy of what can be found over at the Ambassador Theatre, including John Lee Beatty’s scenic design, William Ivey Long’s costume design, and Ken Billington’s lighting design. Impressively, the troupe also successfully navigates Ann Reinking’s full choreography (in the style of Bob Fosse) – no watering down here. During their brief run at the Koch, the substantial roles were played by multiple Takarazuka players. At the performance I saw, Velma and Roxie were played by Wataru Kozuki and Hikaru Asami, respectively. Both are attractive, competent performers, although I missed some of the sass that I typically associate with the roles. As Billy Flynn, Asato Shizuki, however, was absolutely sensational, complete with a convincing male swagger and even singing the role in the original key.

The evening concluded with a special treat – a 20-minute musical encore made up of highlights of Takarazuka’s repertoire. It was fun getting to know the company’s wide-ranging aesthetics better once they were freed from the reigns of Walter Bobbie’s production.

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TAKARAZUKA IN CHICAGO
Off-Broadway, Musical
Lincoln Center Festival (David H. Koch Theater)
2 hours, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed