CHICAGO: 5 Velmas 

She's terrific, and I hope we get to see her again in NY soon.

@@auroraspiderwoman5886 Caroline is back in Australia. Saw her do Aurora in "Kiss Of The Spider Woman" last year in Melbourne ... INCREDIBLE!!!! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VJS9B3l6oWo.html She is rehearsing now for "9 To 5 The Musical" opening in Sydney next month ... (she's playing Roz). Can't wait!!!

Imagine a world with Caroline as Velma and Brandy as Roxie

That’s exactly it!

That's David Warren Gibson. He did a regional production of CHICAGO in 1992 in a production staged by Rob Marshall and Ann Reinking, and then the Broadway version 1996 to 2003. He also danced in several television specials with Ann Reinking and the famous Central Park concert of Diana Ross.

I noticed him, too! It creeped me out a bit.

He needed to work!

Brain, do you need to work?

@@chrissi2810 Thanks for then info on David Warren Gibson. I love it when dancers keep finding noteworthy, consistent work.

chita rivera set the bar very high!!!! as did gwen verdon as roxie.

Nice comment---thank you.

Thanks---very glad you are enjoying them.

Agreed; she's a real actor, and from the first step forward, she fully embodies this woman. Her sang froid, her distancing attitude defines the show, but it comes from a place of character. The secret of the show is to use every gesture and dance to step to serve characterization.

Jasminris seems bland compared even if she does a great and totally fine job too and has a nice voice.

Hi Christine---thank you and glad you enjoyed.

Bella saunders all she needs to do now is Mr. Cellophane and Mary Sunshine

I wish people would stop misusing the word iconic

If you notice the statuesque blonde behind Bebe, that is Leigh Zimmerman (Go-To-Hell-Kitty) in the 1996 revival. Later on, she would a Velma in her own right. L.Z. was my first Velma in March 2011.

She's my favorite too.

One of the very best.

yesss

Could you possibly send the boot to me in some way??

aurora...,- hello?

She's fabulous! (Caroline O'connor)

Yes!!!! Obsessed with Caroline. She’s one of my favourite performers of all time in any genre.

The movie was going for a bit of a different vibe with Velma. In the film Velma is more overtly emotional and vampy and it’s less of a serious role. And frankly, I loved Catherine’s performance. As good as Bebe is, there’s a coldness to her performances that I’m not sure would have been beneficial onscreen. If anything, Zellweger didn’t really suit Roxie.

Yes, in a way she was second in line, as she opened the national tour in 1997 while Bebe was still on Broadway.

CJ carp Youre right

Yes as someone who saw the movie first and then came here to see clips of the actual musical I couldn't help but be disappointed. My opinion might be polarizing but although these women are undoubtedly very talented I feel like they failed to portray the character. In the movie, C. Zeta Jones portrayed Velma as more aggressive even in her singing with growls and via the use of different textures. IMO that portrayal of the character rings more true to the story line. I mean this woman killed her sister and husband hello? lol. On the hand of reason though, these performers are singing for so many days a week and the use of those techniques such as growls and whatnot could damage their voices over time (I'm no expert though just trying to see why they wouldn't). And well, the choreography in the movie was just superior as should be expected. The movie just set the bar so high :/

The song 'All That Jazz' is in a different context within the show however, it doesn't take place in a nightclub or straight after Velma commits the murders. In the show Velma merely appears at the opening as a sort of narrator/MC to welcome the audience to world of the show - it's more of a wry smile and a raised eybrow, than the movie version (I love both but they serve different purposes)

CJ carp yes however if you look at the original original cast from the seventies Roxie and Velma aren’t all that young like they are in the movie version they’re more of older people maybe in their mid to later forties. Roxie flat out sounds like a smoker which could easily be her character

Australian and London dancer/actress/singer Caroline O'Connor.

Yes, an exciting performer and one of the best Velmas.

La mejor!

Ute Lemper was my favorite, although Bebe was pretty irreplaceable.

@@auroraspiderwoman5886 I got to see both Bebe and Ute several times in the late 90's and although Bebe was always incredible and it's clear why she won the Tony, my personal favorite was Ute as well. She handed me the plastic rose at the end of one performance....great memory.