Chicago 3 disc Special edition goodies!!! (1 Viewer)

[Alejandro]

New details on the upcoming edition's goodies:

Deleted Scene
Ê- Class Deleted Musical Number (4 minutes)

Featurettes
Ê- VH1 Behind the Movie (36 minutes)
Ê- From Stage to Screen (27 minutes)
Ê- An Intimate Look at Director Rob Marshall (20 minutes)
Ê- Colleen Atwood Costume Designer Piece (5 minutes)
Ê- John Myhre Production Designer Piece (6 minutes)
Ê- When Liza Minelli Became Roxie Hart (13 minutes)
Ê- Chita's Encore (5 minutes)

Extended Musical Performances
Ê- All That Jazz (6 minutes)
Ê- When You're Good to Mama (4 minutes)
Ê- Cell Block Tango (8 minutes)
Ê- We Both Reached for the Gun #1 (7 minutes)
Ê- We Both Reached for the Gun #2 (4 minutes)
Ê- Mr. Cellophane (4 minutes)
Ê- All I Care About is Love (5 minutes)

Rehearsal Footage
Ê- Musical Performances (3 minutes) (content of this feature unknown)
Ê- All That Jazz (3 minutes)
Ê- All I Care About is Love (3 minutes)
Ê- Nowadays (2 minutes)
Ê- I Can't Do It Alone (4 minutes)
Ê- Hot Honey Rag (3 minutes)

 

[Amy Mormino]

There is some intereasting stuff in there, though it would have been better if they had made their own making of instead of using VH1's. I'm intrigued by the "When Liza Minelli became Roxie Hart" featurette. Any idea what's that about?

I'd strongly consider buying this if they would put out this special edition without the CD, which I already have.

 

[Alejandro]

You're right Amy

I already have the cd, as I guess any fan of this movie does, so why include it?

And yes, the most intriguing bonus is the one about Liza Minnelli. I hope it'd include a brand new interview with her about the time (oh my! the 70's) she took the part as an special engagement over Gwen Verdon (while she was ill, I believe). I also wish they have some footage of that performance since I've only seen an old faded black and white picture of Liza in a blonde wig.

And pardon my poor english but what in the world does Chita's "Encore" means?

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Chita Rivera was the original Broadway Velma Kelly. An "Encore" is a return to the stage at the end of a concert, or an extended performance based on audience reaction.

So, presumably, we will get to see Rivera's performance.

By the way, Chita Rivera had a cameo in the movie version of Chicago.

- Steve

 

[Mike Frezon]

Is there a release date?

 

[GerardoHP]

Oh, my God, I can't wait!

I'm the ultimate Chicago fan. I've seen it many times on the stage, in English and Spanish, and I'm a huge fan of the movie as well. But if there's one thing I wish the movie had, it's more, more, MORE. In its transition to the screen, Chicago saw many of its best numbers deleted (When Velma Takes the Stand, I Know a Girl, I Am my Own Best Friend). I think it's great they're giving us extended versions of the existing numbers. I just hope they will restore some of the great original dialogue that was excised to make the movie shorter.



Alejandro, any idea if the 3-disc version comes with a Spanish track?

 

[David Williams]

I think it's much more likely that the doc is on the filming of Chita's cameo in the film and, perhaps, her memories of being in the original show.

 

[GerardoHP]

There is a video record of excerpts from Chita's performance as Velma along with Gwen Verdon as Roxie from (I believe) an old Tony Awards show, possibly the 1976 one. The pieces are included in the PBS series on Broadway and Broadway's Lost Treasures, which also aired on PBS. The former includes All I Care About is Love performed by Jerry Orbach, who was the original Billy Flynn.

None of these are great quality, and all of them are performed on a set not from the show (looks like a cheap talk show background) but they have great historic value. Maybe some of these will be in the new disc.

 

[Alejandro]

Yeah GerardoHP, I think these will be the footage included.

I'm glad you mention "When Velma Takes the Stand" because it was one of my fav numbers but they did'nt even considered including it so there is no chance of new deleted scenes.

Regarding the spanish track, I don't think it'll have it. I have the spanish edition with a fine dubbing job (only in dialogues, the songs aren't dubbed) but I always watch the english track anyway.

Don't think me mean, but I'd loved to have the screen tests for others Roxies included in this edition. As I recall, many great actresses tested for the role, some of them pretty famous till Marshall settled for RenŽe. Aren't you guys curious?

 

[Phil Crosby]

Liza Minnelli took over the role of Roxie Hart for a few weeks fairly early into the run, when Gwen Verdon was experiencing vocal troubles resulting from inhaling a feather from a boa she used during a number. At the time the show was struggling, and the producers knew that relacing Verdon with her understudy would cause sales to plummet. Because of her friendship with Fosse, Kander and Ebb, Liza agreed to do it, with one proviso -- her name was never used in any playbills or advertising. There was simply an announcement made at the beginning of each performance that "the role of Roxie Hart, normally played by Gwen Verdon, will be played at this performance by Liza Minnelli."

Apparently, with Liza, there were some changes made: "My Own Best Friend," normally a duet with Chita and Gwen, was given to Liza as a solo; and when Chita was peforming "I Can't Do it Alone" (which in Fosse's staging was staged with Chita mostly using a chair as a prop), Liza would comment "Hmmm... yeah, I've seen THAT before!" (a not-s-subtle reference to CABARET's "Mein Herr." I believe she also danced "Me and My Baby" in the Eddie Cantor-style that it had been originally conceived, not as the ballad that Verdon ending up doing.

Minnelli's limited engagement is usually credited for turning the show's sales around and keeping them up, even after Verdon returned.

Minnelli and Goldie Hawn were originally discussed for the film version over 20 years ago, and even did a musical TV special as an "audition" of sorts. But that was never to be.

Phil Crosby

 

[CraigL]

I'm wondering if the same extras are going to be repeated that were on the Japanese 2 disc set and/or the DVD that was included with the SE of the soundtrack.

I made myself a DVD of the VH1 special and the Making of Chicago that was shown on Bravo (I believe) around the time they came out. In fact, I think the VH1 special came out AFTER the movie was out for a bit and enjoyed it much more. The making of was more of a fluff whereas the VH1 was more of a reaction to the way the film exploded.

 

[GerardoHP]

In one of her records, Liza does a pretty amazing job of singing ALL THAT JAZZ.

Alejandro, I would love to get my hands on a Spanish version of the musical. I know there's no record of either the Argentine or the Mexican versions, which were huge hits. Did they make an original cast recording in Spain?

 

[Alejandro]

As far as I know there's no spanish cast recording but the show I attended was glorious. I remember thinking what a great job the translators have done with it(I saw it in spanish AFTER I saw it in english) cause there are so many double meanings in the lyrics so hard to translate. Cell block tango was specially funny, they manage to keep the irony in almost any girl's speeches. It's a pity they didn't release it as a CD (up to recently musicals weren't very popular to spanish audiences here).

How come Liza sang All that Jazz? ... she was supposed to play Roxy :b

 

[GerardoHP]

Alejandro, I thought the same thing of the amazing translations done for this show, not only into one type of Spanish but several: Castillian, Argentine and Mexican Spanish and, I'm sure, more (I recently heard of a Puerto Rican version). Some of the Argentine/Mexican Spanish lyrics are available online at http://lalytha.tripod.com.ar/chicagothemusical/id4.html

The Liza recording is not from her performance in the show but, I believe, from a concert she did some time after she appeared on Broadway as Roxie Hart. I imagine she chose to perform ALL THAT JAZZ because it was the song most identified with this musical for many years.