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.”
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 enjoys 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.”
