In the music spotlight: Chicago | WORLD
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In the music spotlight: Chicago

Chicago's music portrays a dim view of mankind's capacity to maintain divinely ordained institutions


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One thing those curious about the cinematic version of the hit musical Chicago should know is that despite the more-than-adequate singing of Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Queen Latifah, and Richard Gere, better singing by less-famous performers exists on the soundtracks of the musical's various stage productions. Furthermore, the latter come unburdened by the film's political correctness (a black prison matron in 1920s Chicago?) and its soundtrack's addenda ("Cell Block Tango" as a hip-hop anti-wife-beating PSA, incidental music by Danny Elfman, pointless pop song by Anastacia).

Those curious about Chicago's message should know that the lyrics cleverly articulate an extremely dim view of man's capacity to maintain such divinely ordained institutions as marriage and organized jurisprudence. On all but the best of days, it's a cynicism that seems as well suited to the present as to the days of Al Capone (the musical's setting), Watergate (after which it was first staged), or the O.J. trial (after which it was revived).


Arsenio Orteza

Arsenio is a music reviewer for WORLD Magazine and one of its original contributors from 1986.

@ArsenioOrteza

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