![]() I didn't see it until my first solo trip to NYC in 1978, at The Shubert when I was 18. It's still the best performance of Chicago I've ever seen. Roxie had become a huge glittering production number with white gloved jazz hands coming out of the stage floor and wings. It was faster, funnier, meaner and snarkier with tons more dancing. It was a complete turn around when Reinking and Nemitz took over. It wouldn't sell out without Verdon and Liza couldn't stay any longer.) (The show had a huge weekly nut and had to sell out to break even. It was one of the bravest things I've ever seen. Her dancing consisted of swaying in time to the music, propped up a cane and her boys. Chorus boys would prop her up by her elbows and move her around the stage. She seemed totally out-of-it and couldn't stand unassisted. The second time I saw it was Verdon's second or third performance after coming back from her surgery. And Chorus Line had stolen all their thunder. The first time I saw it Fosse still hadn't recovered from his heart attack, which had delayed the opening, and there were doubts about his long-term recovery. The energy level was so low and I heard the atmosphere was sometimes funereal backstage. Gwen and Chita were both 20 years too old for their parts and looked it.
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