Cao Zhen

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WE are now in the 2020s, but our passion for the U.S. jazz age of the 1920s seems to have been re-ignited with the staging of musical “Chicago” at Nanshan Culture and Arts Center in Shenzhen over the weekend.

Without colorful costumes and resplendent sets, “Chicago” utilizes minimal lighting and staging and all-black costumes. But local theatergoers were still enthralled by this indisputable Broadway classic thanks to its delightful storyline, catchy musical numbers and high-energy dancing.

With music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and choreography by Bob Fosse, the musical is a satire on media, criminal justice and corruption in Chicago in the 1920s. It is also set at a time when U.S. women began to take on a larger role in society and culture, especially with a freer-spirit approach to sexual expression.

The musical centers on the vaudevillian Velma Kelly and housewife Roxie Hart, two murderesses who find themselves in jail awaiting trial. The two flappers with contrasting personalities develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity and celebrity. Thanks to a sleazy lawyer’s manipulation, they are finally set free. Feeling no guilt, the two women take the reins: All they want is fame.

This old story sounds absurd, but with one great showstopper after the next, Kander’s sizzling scores and Fosse’s sensual dances keep the plot moving at a brisk pace. Fosse’s distinctive choreography looks simple on the surface, but it’s deceptively complex.

The whole cast renders a combination of tension and relaxation perfectly. South African actresses Carmen Pretorius and Samantha Peo bring a cunning Roxie and a brash Velma to life, respectively. Audience members burst into laughter from time to time at the characters’ amusing body language. And the jazz band at the center of the stage kept the audience entertained well after the curtain call.

“Although the costumes are all black, the characters’ bare skin and their black costumes make a stark contrast, which is very expressive in aesthetics,” said Peo. Pretorius added that the red-painted nails of the female characters in the musical are also an interesting element, which may be interpreted as representing the blood on the women’s hands.

“Chicago” has snatched six Tonys, two Oliviers and one Grammy since its original Broadway production opened in 1975, followed by a West End debut in 1979 and a Broadway revival in 1996.

It will continue to be staged at Nanshan Culture and Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. daily from tomorrow to Sunday, with two additional afternoon shows on this weekend.