Veronica. He is furnitures salesman and a regular guy, but hed promised Roxie to take her to the show business. Even if she seems to be silly and childish, also she can be really dangerous. CHICAGO the Musical is based off the 1926 play written by Maurine Dallas Watkins, the reporter assigned to cover the 1924 trials of murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner. Meet The Flynn Family - This is Chicago's largest crime family with Walter Flynn being in the game for around 30 years, he's an old head and he's been around. billy flynn chicago character analysis "Bologna da Vivere, non solo la convinzione di coloro i quali visitano questa splendida citt, ma anche e soprattutto uno dei pi importanti e - per qualit di servizi offerti- uno dei pi interessanti portali internet che si possono consultare on line." 26 febbraio 2001 . %PDF-1.4 September 13, 2020. Innocent, sexy, desperate, selfish. When you write a character analysis, you must define that character's role. William Flynn is a fictional character from the 1926 play Chicago, written by Maurine Dallas Watkins, and its various derivative works and remakes. The movie is a dazzling song and dance extravaganza, with just enough words to support the music and allow everyone to catch their breath between songs. Sexy, persuasive, manipulative, masculine. Jan. 18, 2016. 0 Discussions. Later we see the girl shooting her lover thrice. While professionally a lawyer, in the story he was more like a press relations officer and a spin doctor. . As for Queen Latifah, she's too young to remember Sophie Tucker, but not to channel her. The show takes place in Chicago, Illinois in the 1 920s. "He's a flamboyant Chicago attorney. Billy Flynn, a.k.a. An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works In the end he manages to get Roxie acquitted, largely on account of turning the trial into a media circus. Finally, we go to the very thing that made Chicago The Musical unique the kind that you dont realize if the only version you saw is the Hollywood version. By day, Roxie cleans, cooks and washes- but by night, she frequents Chicago's notorious jazz clubs with her lover, Fred Casely. Billy Flynn said it best too Its showbiz!. Even vaudeville has its own spin on sharing these stories. 2 0 obj My client feels that it was the combination of liquor and jazz that led to her downfall.Billy to the reporters in his campaign for Roxie's defence. Learn. Billy Flynn is a master of spin: he can transform the image of a murderer into the image of a tragic victim with incredible ease. Get Roxie acquitted for her murder of her lover Fred Casely, Kang the Conqueror (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Chicago is about you. Roxie Hart is the main protagonist of the musical Chicago and all of its adaptations. Husband: Charlie. Beulah was a jazz singer, whose husband Albert worked in a garage. Sexy, funny, powerful and tough. musical villains mashup // 20+ shows ???? She found out her husband had several wives and killed him with Arsenic. He shows signs that he would eagerly abandon his clients for a richer, more famous one if he had the chance. Ian Kelsey as Billy Flynn in 'Chicago, The Musical' (2006) Uli Weber. Chicago (2002) Richard Gere as Billy Flynn. Get entertainment recommendations for your unique personality and find out which of 5,500+ Whether intentionally or not, it brings to light some salient truths about the treatment of women by systems of power. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Its the best thing about this musical. She even bragged it to Mama Morton. Billy knows the secret to getting public opinion on his side: turn the whole trial into a show! Some journalists could only be so vulnerable a trait not advisable for their profession. But she has Amos who may be way dumber than Roxie will ever be. Menu. People watch Chicago The Musical to laugh. Roxie harts lover. Search all shows. Roxie has several press . carcinization etymology; abandoned places in dartmouth ma. Upgrade to PRO to read our character analysis for Billy Flynn and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Almost 100 years later, the unwitting moral of this dazzling musical remains pertinent First of all, dont murder men (unless they deserve it)*; and secondly, women are incredibly powerful when we stick together. She is wealthy because of her family and she is known for going crazy telling everyone to go-to-hell. Arrogant and self-centered, she rebuffs the admiration and adulation that Roxie gave her. "My great-grandmother and I would play dress up," recounts Flynn. Yeah, it is a parody of the legal system but the main reason why it succeeded in being funny is because of the truth found there. When we support each other, believe each other, and raise up our voices together,thenwe truly triumph. Famous, infamous, it doesnt make any difference for her as long as shes on the front page. This week's guest is the l. Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. Billy will take any case as long as it is sure to put money in his pocket. Hes also not above putting words in his clients mouths, if they arent telling their story the way he want them to.Interests money. The Milton Area High School Drama Club will present "Chicago: Teen Edition" on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the school's performing arts center. And jail never tempered her need to be on the papers for the sake of remaining relevant. She kills her boyfriend in her apartment after coming home and finding him with two girls. Set in the 1920s and based on real events, this satirical show follows wannabe jazz age stars who get their fame not just for their singing or dancing talent, but for committing murders that make sensationalized headlines all across . But that in no way meant that he was out of the woods. Her best attempts at intelligence are only apparent because her husband, Amos, is dumber than her. " Razzle Dazzle " is a song featured in the 1975 Broadway musical Chicago and its 2002 film adaptation of the same name. Whats the one comforting factor in all this? November 16, 2022 2:39PM. She enjoyed the fame and can be considered as a quick study after faking a pregnancy in order to get back into the front pages of Chicago again. Jazzed up dancers, a lawyer in a tux, a mechanic with a dapper look that had seen better days, some black chairs and a few toy guns for the murders staged. It's not all breakneck production numbers, but it's never far from one. "Chicago" is a Musical with music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. And that says a lot about some lawyers from the Prohibition Era from this musical is set to today. He is the person who presents all the vaudeville acts during the whole play. Roxie is not very bright and never thinks about Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart will step into the role of Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago on Monday, January 17, at the Ambassador Theatre. Home; About; Gallery; Blog; Shop; Contact; My Account; Resources . At least, in Chicago The Musical, there are song-and-dance numbers around. The movie doesn't update the musical so much as bring it to a high electric streamlined gloss. Notificarme los nuevos comentarios por correo electrnico. Character background [ edit] Billy Flynn is one of the city of Chicago's most effective defense attorneys; he can win any trial and usually represents women who have murdered their lovers. Lets analyze the characters that made a dent in our memory among the musicals that we have seen so far. But that was the only time it was used. "The Billy you see at the beginning of the show is the Billy you see at the end of the show," Barrett said. The 2002 movie Chicago was adapted from Bob Fosse's 1975 Broadway musical, Chicago. Despite the supposedly light, vaudeville style of Chicago, Kander, Ebb and Fosse's adaptation (which takes inspiration from Maurine Dallas Watkin's play of the same name) draws purposeful parallels between the legal system and the culture of celebrity and sensation journalism. The fact that the jazz-themed music are catchy enough to get stuck in your head makes the grim scenarios less grim than they actually are. Reilly brings a kind of pathetic sincere naivete to the role--the same tone, indeed, he brings to a similar husband in "The Hours," where it is also needed. Billy will take any case as long as it is sure to put money in his pocket. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Character Analysis (Avoiding Spoilers) . In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. But are the women in this story really triumphant? In prison, she develops a rivalry with the star Velma Kelly, who killed her own husband . Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Billy Flynn from Chicago. He is an incredibly charismatic, flamboyant and smooth talking lawyer with an incredibly corrupt and nihilistic outlook on life. The movie stars sweet-faced Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, who kills her lover and convinces her husband to pay for her defense; and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, who broke up her vaudeville sister act by murdering her husband and her sister while they were engaged in a sport not licensed for in-laws. She is actually innocent, but because she only speaks Hungarian and refuses to plead guilty, she is found guilty and hanged. He has blue eyes and brown hair. If the accused managed to bring in the drama too and ended up coming across as funny instead, you realize the kind of credibility and believability found in this musical. These are small roles that will be played by members of the chorus and the dance ensemble. So we spoke to @, In the depths of January, its easy to be hard on ourselves. New York, NY, Linda Ray The queen from the Chicagos press. Needs to be a strong character actor who can sing and dance well. (}1({SZW+]U|x The big mama of all murderesses. A topnotch vaudeville performer, Velma Kelly was incarcerated for her murder of her husband and her sister after catching them in bed. "All I Care About (is Love)" serves as Flynn's jingle, in which the crooner claims not to care about wealth or materialism and works for his love of women (later revealed to be a complete lie), "They Both Reached For The Gun (The Press Conference Rag)" serves as a ventriloquist act with a call-and-response between Billy's "dummy" Roxie and the press, and "Razzle Dazzle" (a champagnesque piece with what Jerry Orbach described as "Brechtian subtlety"[1]) serves as the explanation of Flynn's modus operandi: make the case a distraction so that the jury loses attention. And she found a way to make a bad situation work out for her like realizing how she can be the toast of the town despite being in jail which brings us to the next factor that made this musical such a hit. *Our system only provides suggested monologues or songs for select characters if we have matching monologues and song information in our database. The reason is that it isn't about Roxie. Ring of Keys: Lyrics from Fun Home The Musical, Chicago The Musical lyrics: Cell Block Tango. As he tells Roxie, This is Chicago, kid. Some things havent changed indeed. Sometimes I consider her character as a commentary about journalists that got so persuaded with one presentation of the case that they almost went biased towards it. Despite the supposedly light, vaudeville style ofChicago, Kander, Ebb and Fosses adaptation (which takes inspiration fromMaurine Dallas Watkins play of the same name) draws purposeful parallels between the legal system and the culture of celebrity and sensation journalism. The story is inspired by the screaming headlines of the Front Page era and the decade after. Without Flynn and with a dose of brainless arrogance, she almost got hanged if not for a need to live again and enjoy being the media celebrity all over again. As he tells his client, Roxie, You mean just one thing to me: you call me when you got $5000.Challenge maintaining his perfect court record. include an upper and lower case character and a number. By filming it in its own spirit, by making it frankly a stagy song-and-dance revue, by kidding the stories instead of lingering over them, the movie is big, brassy fun. account. Images attached are from the film version of the hit musical. It is a challenge to manage the right amount of despair for his character." Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! xZMo6W\`e .z(zk+QH}-MflY)z2h3`~n1qv?? I will also talk about my ideas for the costumes for the prison girls. Next up for Lane is his return to the long-running Broadway revival of "Chicago," where he plays lawyer Billy Flynn. In the original Broadway version of the musical, he was portrayed by the late Jerry Orbach, who also played Sa'Luk in Disney's Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and King . Connor McClung, a senior who plays Amos Hart, says "playing Amos is a balancing act, because he is upset most of the time. Upgrade to PRO Sign Up for PRO to view suggested audition pieces! The singer/songwriter known for songs like "Hip to Be Square," "The Heart of Rock & Roll," and "I Want a New Drug" played Billy Flynn in . Videos. However, when Roxie additionally ends up in jail, Billy goes up against her case too - transforming her into a . Kelly Osbourne as Mama Morton 'Chicago, The Musical' (2006) . Nightclub sensation Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) murders her philandering husband, and Chicago's slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), is set to defend her. !, thus including him in the swelling ranks of 1920sf*ckboygaslighters. And that says a lot about some lawyers from the Prohibition Era from this musical is set to today. And of course, Roxie Hart, the heart (pun intended) for the murder case that Flynn has spun into a media spectacle. They'll love you a lot more when you hang. He is joined in the cast by "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" winner Jinkx Monsoon who plays Mistress Morton. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. She killed her husband with a shotgun because he popped his gum. ON BREAKING CHARACTER . The moment a culture have managed to present even the darkest stories in the most upbeat manner possible, you know that they have learned to cope with the burden of life. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more characters from Traditionally in musicals the music is embedded . Thanks for reading. I am an admin of this site. She is a woman with the image of a good natured talk show hostess but is actually a high powered gossip columnist. Her statements regarding the murder case conflicted after her lawyer, Billy Flynn, got preoccupied with his other client. G. Gillian Russo January 10, 2023, 09:53. The Phantom of the Opera: What Was the Monkey Music Box For? In case productions are about to come in your area, you get to read it here. Grew up in cynical times. Through the characters nave faith in the glitz of fame, coupled with lawyer Billy Flynns (Richard Gere) impressive courtroom tap dancing (and casual objectification of women), the film makes a clear comparison between showbiz and the legal system. Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together) and Roxie Hart (who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago. Instead of remorse, she felt so much pride at the sight of her name on the broadsheets front page discussing the horrors of her double homicide case. John Kander, Billy is the female murderesses hero in an expensive suit -- in all. The character either plays a major role, as a central element to . WordPress Theme: Dynamic News by ThemeZee. "Chicago" is a musical that might have seemed unfilmable, but that was because it was assumed it had to be transformed into more conventional terms. Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. As the best lawyer in town, Billy is just as big a celebrity as any of the glitzy, glamorous jazz singers. Chicago Play Critique Character Analysis. A nalyst: Upon moving to Los Angeles, Flynn landed a job as an analyst at Warner Bros. Studios. Completely loyal and devoted to his beloved wife. The film has budget on its side, and you would be forgiven for buying into the razzle dazzle; but the comparative shabbiness of the showcurrently running at the Phoenix Theatre, London, undermines the audiences ability to suspend their disbelief. I just realized how several versions of All That Jazz, Funny Honey and Razzle Dazzle sung outside the Hollywood really got me thinking about this hit musical. This Character will be performed by someone from the ensemble. Enter a world of jazz, crime, and razzle dazzle at Chicago on Broadway. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Velma is supposed to be a singing and dancing star, and Zeta-Jones delivers with glamor, high style and the delicious confidence the world forces on you when you are one of its most beautiful inhabitants. Define Your Character's Role in the Work You're Analyzing. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Also he could easily be swayed into thinking one way by persuasion only to change his mind upon getting into another persuasion all over again as shown as how he immediately changed his mind into supporting Roxie again. Maybe because it has worked before. In the original Broadway version, the song was performed by Flynn's actor, the late Jerry Orbach. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! Fred Ebb Watching Chicago for the first time and you realize the immense influence the major characters have on you. Mary Sunshine is one of the journalists assigned to cover the development in the murder case of which Roxie Hart is the primary suspect. Club sensation Velma murders her philandering spouse / her sister and Chicago's slickest legal advisor, Billy Flynn is set to shield her. Her role is a memorable one since the song When Youre Good to Mama is pretty straight-forward about her agenda. Click . In the 2002 film, he was portrayed by Richard Gere, who also played Dennis Peck in Internal Affairs. . Currently the second longest-running show on Broadway, the 1996 revival of Chicago boasts a long list of celebrities who have stepped into its leading roles. Billy Flynn. to read our character analysis for Billy Flynn and unlock other amazing theatre resources! "I'm an alcoholic and an addict," one who's been in recovery for coming up on three years. HOT. In 2002, Catherine Zeta Jones and Rene Zellweger starred in the movie adaptation, which positions each musical number as though it were happening in Roxies (Zellweger) imagination. Its already 2015. Character Analysis. Hayden McAllister, a junior who plays Billy Flynn, watched several productions of Chicago to help him prepare for his role. One number thats left out of the 2002 movie is My Own Best Friend, which Alexandra Burke and Josefina Gabrielle bring to life on stage at the Phoenix. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!! Killers were romanticized or vilified, cops and lawyers and reporters lived in each other's pockets, and newspapers read like pulp fiction. Hugh Jackman was apparently offered the role, but declined due to him thinking that he was too young. Think for example of the music in the film. . Chicago: All That Jazz (Official Video) Chicago . I want to talk to my lawyer, a line that accused individuals say whenever they feel cornered and in need of someone to speak on their behalf. Now comes word they'll be adding a plus one . You know why? Mazz Murray stuns as Mama Morton at the Phoenix Theatre, London. That way, he ended up becoming a tool for everyone to exploit. Surely enough, he has other clients too but in the case of Velma, she can work her own wonders into putting her face on the front page for everyone to gawk at. Alphabet Soup: Billy Flynn. We meet Roxie Hart, married early and unwisely, to Amos Hart (John C. Reilly), a credulous lunkhead. Chicago, a musical originally choreographed, directed and co-written by the legendary Bob Fosse in 1975, is the story of Roxie Hart, a wannabe cabaret star in 1920s Chicago. but not much is done with the character. As he explains, This trial. But for the most part the film runs on solid-gold cynicism. Afterwards he happily leaves Roxie to fend for herself, again showing that he never cared about her in the slightest. Rated PG-13 The guns got used in Roxies scene and in the heiresss scene. Sometimes you are more interested in the lawyers showmanship than whether the accused deserved to be convicted or not. Kelly is an aloof nightclub singer/vaudevillian of the 20's, who plays sensationalist musical numbers at the jazz nightclub "The Onyx" in Chicago. Add Characters. Sarcastic, sexy, tough, funny. Roxie Hart For Roxie, I wanted to have a very simple and elegant look but also incorporate From Velma Kellys cry, No, Im no ones wife but, oh, I love my life! in All that Jazz, to hers and Roxie Harts climatic closing duet Nowadays, its a score that relishes in womens liberation. During the movie he is seen in the audience during the final number applauding Roxie and Velma. "I get the character of Billy Flynn," Mr. Springer added. Instead of interrupting the drama with songs, Marshall and screenwriter Bill Condon stage the songs more or less within Roxie's imagination, where everything is a little more supercharged than life, and even lawyers can tap-dance. Chicago brought Huey Lewis his Broadway debut, too. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like The Man in the Iron Mask, The Man in the Iron Mask (Genre), The Man in the Iron Mask (Character) and more. Jones and Zellweger as Velma and Roxie in Chicago. After Roxie murders her lover Fred Casely, whom she was committing adultery with, she hears about what Billy Flynn did for another murderess, the infamous Velma Kelly, and he becomes her lawyer. Plays the judge in the courtroom scene. Characters Casts Crews. William "Billy" Flynn is the deuteragonist of the musical Chicago, and all of its adaptations. (Avoiding Spoilers) Grew up in cynical times. Chicago Character Descriptions V E L MA KE L L Y : F e ma l e , 2 5 -4 0 (Ra n g e : Al to , E 3 -D5 ) V a u d vi l l e p e rf o rme r wh o i s a ccu se d o f mu rd e ri n g h e r si st e r a n d h u sb a n d . 3w2. She has a lover named Fred Casely (Dominic West), who sweet-talks her with promises of stardom. Velma Kelly and her sister Veronica had a double-act at "The Onyx", but one night before their show Velma caught her husband Charlie in the act with her sister Veronica, so she . B oat: He once lived on a sailboat in Marina . He was made to believe that Roxie is pregnant with his kid. It is meant to be experienced. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Crea un blog o un sitio web gratuitos con WordPress.com. The matron of the Cook County Jail who believes that all favors she gives should be reciprocated or paid for. Nor about Billy Flynn. BUY TICKETS. This Broadway production holds the longest running American musical in history of Broadway. "I'm a work in progress," he shared. Even if she seems to be silly and childish, also she can be really dangerous.