When the John Kander-Fred Ebb-Bob Fosse musical Chicago first hit Broadway in 1975, it lasted a respectable 936 performances. It ran a bit more than two years, but was far overshadowed by an innovative little show titled A Chorus Line.

Stripped down and reconceived by director Walter Bobbie as part of the Encores! staged reading series at Manhattan's City Center in 1996, Chicago made it back to Broadway later that year. Thirteen years later -- the revival hit 5,200 performances this week -- the show is still going strong. On Broadway, anyway.

On the road? Maybe not so much.

The touring version of Chicago, which has made numerous stops in South Florida since 1997, has returned to play Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts this week. On display are two of the reasons that Bobbie's clever revival has lasted so long: minimalist production values and gimmick casting.

To the delight of some and the dismay of others, Colombian beauty Sofía Vergara is making her Miami stage debut in the show as prison matron ''Mama'' Morton. Fresh from her first professional theater gig -- a four-week Broadway run as Mama -- the gamely gorgeous Vergara belts, sways a little and reliably delivers her lines, throwing in a ''Mami'' here and there for some sabor latino.

Casting a bombshell in a role customarily played by a heftier woman who communicates avarice and lust for the fame-hungry murderesses she calls her ''chickies'' is a choice. And we shouldn't be surprised that a show that has tried to boost its box office by featuring celebrity stars (think Lisa Rinna and hubby Harry Hamlin, Melanie Griffith, Usher, George Hamilton, Samantha Harris, Chandra Wilson) would consider bringing Vergara to Miami a no-brainer.

But the decision is also pandering, unfair to Vergara (who doesn't have the stage experience to believably exist in the show's sly, stylish world), to the theater-seasoned cast and anyone in the audience who might object to watching a novice at Broadway touring show prices.

Vergara's costars deliver the goods, though the show is starting to feel a tad tired, as though it has been on the road one or two years too long. For a musical powered by Jazz Age fizz and and a palpable lust for fame, that's not good.

A funny, radiant Bryn Dowling is bouncy blond Roxie Hart, a gal who's only too happy to plug her lover Fred (Brent Heuser) and humiliate her sad-sack hubby Amos (Ron Orbach) to get her name in the papers. Terra C. MacLeod, who played Roxie's rival Velma when the tour hit the Broward Center three years ago, is still bringing Fosse style -- pinioned upper arms, a jutting pelvis, lightning-fast legs -- to the dancing that is her strong suit. And Broadway veteran Brent Barrett makes defense attorney Billy Flynn as irresistible as he is avaricious.

Chicago still has plenty going for it: a great Kander-Ebb score, sexy dancers, vibrant characters, an ever-resonant story. But the too-often broad and cartoonish production at the Arsht isn't wearing its age well.

Christine Dolen is The Miami Herald's theater critic.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@