Tonight was really my night; simply inexplicable! Just had to get that out of my system. Vaudeville really set in after such a fantastic movie. Like I said, I had never seen the Oscar award winning film Chicago, but I am so glad that I put off a paper to attend the screening. The Jazz age is so beautiful when seen through the eyes of Roxie Hart, a “poor, misunderstood girl with a sinner’s past and a saint’s heart.” Oh the tears in my eyes.
The music and character of this show are legendary and need little introduction. Anyone that has even the slightest knowledge of musicals or theater has heard some lines of All That Jazz or Mr. Cellophane. The show embraces and produces the spirit of classic Vaudeville productions with its talented chorus lines, revolutionary choreography, and jazzy show tunes. The singers give spirit to their work with voices made strong by years of struggling for their five minutes of fame and a spotlight in the public eye.
Rob Marshall and Bill Condon come together to deliver a modern swing on this jazz age extravaganza by fusing the power of today’s stage effects, the talent of popular artists, and one of the most celebrated Broadway shows in history. Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, and Christine Baranski show us a performance to remember as they are transformed into vaudevillians from another age. Absolutely fantastic voice performances and dance numbers give today’s actors a long forgotten skill and show us another side of what it means to be a performer. I loved the juggling, the bum clown act, and the Chicago lights circus shows that took place throughout the movie.
I figured before going that I would enjoy myself, but I had no idea that the musical would be as great as it was. It will most definitely be on my Christmas list next year! The reason the title of this review mentions All That Jazz is because this screening, provided by the University Unions Arts and Programs (AAPA) as part of their Oscar Winning Film Festival, also shows films created by students here at the University of Michigan. We watched three films; Prelude in C Major by Shannon Kohlitz, Epic Reiteration of Hey Diddle Diddle also by Shannon Kohlitz, and Free Trade by Josh Behr. These independent films are to be shown and voted on at all of the screenings this week and the winning film will be announced on Thursday. They were all well produced films that deserve the attention of Michigan’s diverse student body. This week’s program is designed to get these films some viewing and I hope everyone can take it upon themselves to attend one film this week and vote for favorite.
The other films are:
“Crash” February 24, 2010, 7 p.m. at the Michigan Union, Pendleton Room
“Casablanca” February 25, 2010, 7 p.m. in Palmer Commons, Forum Hall
Take a break from studying, or celebrate a finished exam, by attending one of these fantastic movies and participating in this campus program to support fellow students. I know for a fact that Casablanca is an amazing movie, and I’m sure that Crash is also, I mean it did win some Oscars. It will be worth it, I promise.
As always,
This is Danny Fob: Artist and Art Reviewer.
