| “Roxie from the planet Mars” / Gifts of the Chicago Revival | |
| Posted by: GabbyGerard 09:10 pm EST 12/20/18 | |
| In reply to: re: Bway replacements who outshine the originals - AlanScott 03:45 pm EST 12/20/18 | |
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| First of all, thank you for that description of Reinking’s Roxie, which literally made me laugh out loud. Her Roxie was so eccentric, so distinct, so original (and—as others have mentioned—breathtakingly danced), it’s hard for me to think anyone can better her. But one of the gifts of the Chicago revival, especially in its early years, is that it gives us opportunities to see genuine triple threats sink their teeth (and long legs) into roles that were designed to show off such talents. So, even though I’m not willing to say anyone outshone Reinking, I also can’t say that the Roxies of Karen Ziemba and Charlotte d’Amboise are any less dear to me. Each woman brought such special qualities to the role. Karen’s vulnerability brought genuine pathos to Roxie, creating, perhaps, the most dramatic arc I’ve seen for the character (I can still hear her saying, “Gone; it’s all gone”). Charlotte’s daredevil dancing is so exciting that it often causes people to overlook the daffy charm that she brings to her scene work. And the years of ballet training that both Karen and Charlotte have (and showed off at different times in Contact) made for such gorgeous execution of Reinking’s choreography that even basic steps changed the temperature of the room. It’s hard to believe that their three dance performances exist in the same production as Melanie Griffith’s and Mel B.’s. It has been harder to match, or even approach, Bebe as Velma, perhaps because of the role’s demands or it being such a perfect match of actress and character. But I would never want to give up my memories of seeing Deidre Goodwin (who was similarly athletic but more confrontational) or Ute Lemper (whose totally original Velma must have hopped on Reinking’s UFO) in the role. |
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| Previous: | re: Bway replacements who outshine the originals - Michael_Portantiere 10:53 pm EST 12/20/18 |
| Next: | I must have seen a warmed up Melanie Griffith - Genealley 10:12 pm EST 12/20/18 |
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