Sassy & sensational

Does Chicago live up to the hype? It most certainly does. This show will have you humming the catchy numbers long after the curtain has closed.

Everything about the production screams perfection, from the strong cast with superb voices to the tight orchestra performing faultlessly for two-and-a-half-hours on stage.

Telling a story of "murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery", the star characters have much to go through as the story unfolds.

Manipulation

We follow nightclub dancer Roxie Hart who shoots her lover dead and ends up in jail.

She persuades her pathetic husband to foot the $5,000 (Dh18,350) bill for hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn as her one hope of escaping the death penalty.

Thanks to his cunning manipulation of the press, her crime is turned into celebrity headlines, with the media persuaded it was self defence. And when Roxie adds a fictitious pregnancy into the equation, it is only a matter of time before she is acquitted.

Unchanged

Michelle DeJean, who has been playing redhead Roxie for eight months, says nothing about the raunchy production has been changed from the Broadway version for Dubai.

She says: "It is entirely as it was intended. We said, if you want the show, you have to have it as it is. I think it is going to be fine. Dubai is not as conservative as we were led to believe."

The 35-year-old describes Roxie as a survivor and says she is a "murderess with a heart of gold".

Emotions

"She has many layers and many different levels - that's why it's so much fun to play her," says DeJean.

"She goes through a full spectrum of emotions through the show. As an actor, it's a wonderful experience to have to take that journey every night but it is also very exhausting so at the end I'm not only mentally but physically exhausted as well."

Exciting

The challenging choreography is a feast for the eyes and negates the need for any scenery.

The supple cast dressed in sheer black body suits, short dresses and hot pants perform high kicks, jazz flicks and acrobatics with every beat.

Movements are sharp and exciting, and props, from feather fans to bowler hats, are employed to great effect.

The entire show takes place on a blackened stage edged in a golden gilt picture frame.

Although the orchestra is positioned in tiers in the background, the conductor breaks from directing the musicians to add his presence to the storytelling in parts.

Outstanding performances are given by DeJean, as Roxie, and Terra MacLeod who plays fellow convict, Velma Kelly.

DeJean's portrayal is sexy, girly and utterly convincing as she reveals Roxie's weakness for fantasising about life as a star of vaudeville after her release.

She is well contrasted with MacLeod whose role as Velma brings a harder, more calculated and controlled character into the mix.

Both have exceptional voices that are ideally suited to their roles.

The lawyer

Sleazy lawyer Billy Flynn, played skilfully by Greg Evigan, is a sleek, square-jawed all-American with a perma-smile.

Evigan says of the role: "He's always thinking about the money and he takes advantage of the system. I play him with a wink and a nod but at the same time he has got to have a hard edge."

Other notable performances include Kevin Carolan's portrayal of Roxie's long-suffering husband, Amos Hart, whose enchanting solo number, Mister Cellophane, draws sympathy from the audience.

And Class, sung by Velma and Matron, is a triumph in lyrics and execution designed to both shock and amuse.

Sexy, sassy and sensational, this musical really is all that jazz.

The event

WHAT:  Chicago
WHERE: Madinat Arena, Dubai
WHEN: From now until May 13
TIME:  9.30pm daily, 5.30pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday
COST: Dh200 for balcony, Dh275 for standard and Dh495 for VIP seats 
CONTACT:  Madinat Jumeirah Box Office on 04 366 6546