# I saw 'Chicago' with someone who didn't know it was a musical **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198 "2003-04-12T03:51:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/1 "2003-04-12T03:51:46Z")
That was pretty funny, but she didn’t tell me until it was over. It’s funny, I’ve always found Renée Zellwegger (sp?) very attractive and never understood Catherine Zeta Jones appeal (I could see she was an attractive woman, but nothing special), but Ms. Jones performance was far more interesting and she had a shitload more sex appeal. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/2 "2003-04-12T04:51:41Z")
And a knock-em-dead voice, too. Zellwegger (I don’t know either) has a nice voice but it isn’t in the same category. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/3 "2003-04-12T05:37:30Z")
Somehow, “shitload” and “sex appeal” don’t go together, **Badtz Maru**. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/4 "2003-04-12T07:25:59Z")
_wonders how you can sit through a musical and not realize it after the 2nd song_ ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/5 "2003-04-12T07:30:46Z")
My sister went to see “Chicago”, not knowing it was a musical. She caught on pretty quick though. 😃 Interestingly, **Badtz Maru** , my experience was sort of the opposite: I’ve never really liked Zellweger, but she ‘convinced’ me in this movie. Also, I thought Richard Gere did a great job at impersonating one of those ‘old school’ musical voices. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/6 "2003-04-12T07:58:28Z")
Clever marketing, my friend, clever marketing. Actually, a LOT of people went to Chicago not knowing it was a musical (do a search on Chicago and you will see that showing up in many threads). Miramax was not stupid…if you recall the ad on television, they showed a snippet from All That Jazz, but the rest of the ad was all prose. They knew that musical fans would know what it was immediately, but others would think it was a drama. It worked…people who would never plunk down a penny for a “musical” suddenly were in a theater and stayed to the end. They liked it. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/7 "2003-04-12T16:34:40Z")
Zellweger impressed me most with the number where she played the ventriloquist’s dummy to Gere’s ventriloquist. Very good lip-syncing, and her movement was very unnatural and convincing…it was almost creepy. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/8 "2003-04-12T18:32:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > \*\*Clever marketing, my friend, clever marketing. > > Actually, a LOT of people went to Chicago not knowing it was a musical (do a search on Chicago and you will see that showing up in many threads). > > Miramax was not stupid…if you recall the ad on television, they showed a snippet from All That Jazz, but the rest of the ad was all prose. They knew that musical fans would know what it was immediately, but others would think it was a drama. It worked…people who would never plunk down a penny for a “musical” suddenly were in a theater and stayed to the end. > They liked it. \*\* I’ve never seen a commercial for it that wasn’t 80% singing & dancing …I wonder if they sent different ads to different places. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/9 "2003-04-12T18:41:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > \*\*It’s funny, I’ve always found Renée Zellwegger (sp?) very attractive and never understood Catherine Zeta Jones appeal (I could see she was an attractive woman, but nothing special), but Ms. Jones performance was far more interesting and she had a shitload more sex appeal. \*\* I just gotta say, :eek: ! I thought Catherine Zeta Jones had shitloads of sex appeal (yeah, I guess **Walloon** ’s right) way back in _The Mask of Zorro_, and I’ve been in lust with her ever since. Miss Jones just does it for me, I guess. Haven’t seen Chicago yet. Don’t like musicals. Nothing else to add . . . sorry . . . I’ll leave now . . . ---
**Author:** ![summerbreeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@summerbreeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/summerbreeze)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/10 "2003-04-18T12:12:43Z")
I saw “Chicago” with someone who thought all movie musicals were like “The Sound of Music.” I’d promised her there were no nuns or goatherds in “Chicago,” but she didn’t believe me. She was blown away. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/11 "2003-04-18T12:21:20Z")
> [@](#): > > I’d promised her there were no nuns or goatherds I’ll bet she was a little taken aback when there _were_ puppets, though! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/12 "2003-04-18T14:45:12Z")
Did you guys know that Chicago on Broadway is screamingly funny? I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I took my sister to see the play and she was bewildered. I have been putting off seeing it, because I don’t want to offend anyone in the movie theatre by laughing in the spots that I know were originally funny (e.g. “He went out every night searching for himself, And on the way he found Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary, and **Irving**.”) I just can’t imagine the humor not being played up, the plot is gloriously absurd. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/13 "2003-04-18T15:26:16Z")
Not having seen the musical before seeing the movie, I didn’t realize that it mostly seemed to take place in prison and the courtroom. I thought (bolstered by the TV ads) it all took place IN THE CLUB, when really, hardly anything happened there. ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/14 "2003-04-18T16:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grettle \* > \*\* I have been putting off seeing it, because I don’t want to offend anyone in the movie theatre by laughing in the spots that I know were originally funny (e.g. “He went out every night searching for himself, And on the way he found Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary, and **Irving**.”) \*\* Perhaps I went to the theatre with a hip crowd, because I know that the audience laughed at that line in the movie. Granted, the humor isn’t played up to the max, but it’s certainly there. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/15 "2003-04-18T19:45:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elfkin477 \* > \*\*I’ve never seen a commercial for it that wasn’t 80% singing & dancing …I wonder if they sent different ads to different places. \*\* I guess so. All the commercials/trailers I saw for it _before_ the release of the film gave no indication that it was a musical. (Showed CZJ showing some leg, but that’s pretty much it.) Everything since, OTOH, shows it as a musical. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/16 "2003-04-18T20:45:32Z")
I’m still convinced my husband will like it even though he absolutely hates musicals. I went and saw it and loved it so much I would love to see it again in the theater (that’s very rare for me). ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/17 "2003-04-19T22:36:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*_wonders how you can sit through a musical and not realize it after the 2nd song_ \*\* My honey works in a movie theater and the first couple weeks, _Chicago_ had people wanting their money back after a several minutes into it – not boatloads, perhaps three or four per showing – but more than any recent movie. It was generally about ten minutes after it started, about the time for “Cellblock Tango,” and we were trying to figure out what was so offensive about that song that it would drive people away. I mean it’s not exactly “Getting to Know You” but what’d you expect from Bob Fosse? Maybe, instead, it was simply when they were realizing, “Hey! This is a _musical_!” DD ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/18 "2003-04-19T23:11:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > It’s funny, I’ve always found Renée Zellwegger (sp?) very attractive and never understood Catherine Zeta Jones appeal (I could see she was an attractive woman, but nothing special), but Ms. Jones performance was far more interesting and she had a shitload more sex appeal. I’ve never found either Renee or Catherine attractive at all, but I would tolerate Renee when I wouldn’t Catherine. For several years now I’ve refused to see any film with Ms. Jones in it because I thought she was a frighteningly bad actress; she was Salma Hayek without the breasts and charm. With _Chicago_, however, I was forced to admit that she was fantastic. She won me over, and I have since rented several of her films to catch up on what I’ve missed. Also, **Badtz Maru** , I completely agree about Renee’s puppet scene. It was fantastic and creepy at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/19 "2003-04-20T00:15:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mephisto \* > Haven’t seen Chicago yet. Don’t like musicals. Nothing else to add . . . sorry . . . I’ll leave now . . . C’mon. Violence, adultery, sleazy lawyers, guilty clients going free, the lust for fame, and some singing and dancing will push you away? One of the best numbers is named, “Cellblock Tango (He had it coming).” Six beautiful women dancing in revealing clothing, singing lines like, “I didn’t do it – but if I’d done it, how could you tell me that I was wrong?” You gotta see this thing. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198/20 "2003-04-20T04:53:28Z")
Two words: fish nets. I have a thing for 'em. This film has lots of 'em, particularly in the Cell Block Tango scene. Oh yes. I agree that the Press Conference Rag scene with the puppets was brilliant. I’m also forced to admit that Richard Gere was great throughout. I can’t imagine who would have been better in the role. I can’t believe they were trying to get _John Travolta_ of all people. Dr. J [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-chicago-with-someone-who-didnt-know-it-was-a-musical/168198.md?page=2)