Musicals have significant popularity worldwide and are presented on the stages of theaters, in movies, and on television. Knapp (2018) notes that American musicals, along with jazz and films, are an exclusively American unique art form that developed at the beginning of the 20th century. Musicals reflect society or represent it in a new light, allowing the audience to learn more about people and culture. The current paper analyzes the Chicago musical as a mirror reflecting American society and culture and representing the unfair justice system and the problem of famous criminals. Although crimes are socially condemned, the musical demonstrates how public opinion can change depending on the image created for the criminal.
Chicago gained considerable popularity among the audience and even became the basis for the film. The musical originates in a play based on actual events of the 1920s, which are presented in the plot (Mordden, 2018). The original musical was presented on stage in 1975 with music by John Kander, choreography by Bob Fosse, and lyrics by Fred Ebb (Mordden, 2018). However, staging gained its major popularity almost twenty years later â in 1996 (Mordden, 2018). A new wave of success was facilitated by artists working on the musical and public attention to the topics revealed.
The plot of the musical is developed around women who commit murders and seek to avoid punishment. Through their attractiveness and sexuality, they try to gain popularity and thereby be justified for their crimes. Therefore, the central theme of Chicago is the fame of criminals, which arouses the sympathy of society for them. A significant percentage of acquittals for such criminals demonstrates the unfairness of the justice system. In the 1990s, such a case was the O. J. Simpson murder case, where the killer Simpson, a famous athlete, actor, and host, was acquitted (Mordden, 2018). The situation received significant publicity, which made the return to Chicago especially relevant. The musical’s theme will be topical as long as the criminals are forgiven because of their influence and the justice system’s shortcomings.
The popular show tune of the musical is the opening song, “All that Jazz.” The words and music belong to the authors mentioned earlier that worked on Chicago in 1975 â Fred Ebb and John Kander (Mordden, 2018). The song is performed by actresses playing one of the main characters â Velma Kelly. The jazz form of the piece reflected the culture of the 1920s when this style was at its peak. Some lines brightly highlight openness and permissiveness: “Come on babe, why don’t we paint the town?” or “I know a whoopee spot / Where the gin is cold but the piano’s hot.” (Chicago The Musical, 2018, 0:07-0:29). These words, calls for a party and ignoring the Prohibition demonstrate the freedom of the era. Such freedom, a sense of impunity, and the desire to embody selfish desires are intertwined with the theme of powerful criminals.
Thus, American musicals allow audiences to learn a lot about America’s society and history. The considered example of the Chicago musical and its show tune “All that Jazz” reflects both the cultural commitment to jazz and society’s problems in the 1920s. In particular, the central theme is how some criminals, using their popularity, can receive acquittals even for severe crimes. The injustice of such situations is apparent, but the problem is present, and the music can attract additional attention to solve it.
References
Chicago The Musical. (2018). All that Jazz (official video) â Chicago the musical[Video]. Web.
Knapp, R. (2018). The American musical and the formation of national identity. Princeton University Press.
Mordden, E. (2018). All that Jazz: The life and times of the musical Chicago. Oxford University Press.