Windy city hits Wearside as Chicago rolls into Sunderland - here's our review

This theatrical trip to the windy city blew up a tempest in keeping with the visit of Storm Floris to Wearside.

As the longest running American musical in Broadway and West End history, Chicago did not disappoint.

From the moment the curtain came up on a ten-piece orchestra, the tone of a sleazy, sassy city of corruption at the peak of prohibition a century ago was exquisitely set, with the often subdued lighting capturing the mood in keeping with the arrest of main character Roxie Hart for the murder of her lover.

Lucy-Anne Stacey is described in the programme as, “delighted to appear in the 2024-25 UK tour of Chicago.”

You bet she was, as instead of playing her normal minor part she was jettisoned into the spotlight in the lead role as understudy to the indisposed Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara.

Roxie Hart craves the spotlight and Lucy-Anne Stacey stole the show in taking her chance to shine.

Roxie is named Hart but doesn’t appear to have a heart as she and her lawyer – West End and TV star Darren Day - manipulate the truth to seek her escape from justice.

Sensational headlines from her trial excite her as she vies with rival Velma Kelly – played by the vibrant Djalenga Scott.

The story unfolds through twenty songs, almost all of them expressed as much by dance as well as voice, thanks to outstanding choreography attributed to Gary Chryst.

In any show of this size a cast can be let down by a weak link, but there simply isn’t one here.

As you would expect from a production looking to live up to its reputation of having won six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy every aspect of this fast moving show is as slick as Al Capone was when his reign of terror and mob rule controlled Chicago at the time this musical is set.

Easily overlooked could be the role of Roxie’s taken for granted husband Amos, played by Joshua Lloyd.

His role stood out as the only one where innocence had not been taken over by corruption, with his song ‘Mister Cellophane’ for me a highlight of the evening.

Clearly I wasn’t the only one to thoroughly enjoy Chicago as a packed house enthusiastically applauded number after number.

With Sunderland now proudly being heralded as a ‘Music City’ this trip to 1920s Chicago brings a lot more than ‘All That Jazz’.

Rob Mason

Chicago is at Sunderland Empire until Saturday, August 9