Modern Spokane jazzes things up with ‘Chicago’

On its surface, “Chicago” is a glitzy celebration of tabloid sensationalism and Jazz Age excess, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a dark and gritty morality play about egotism, obsession and corruption. The beloved musical, which opens at the Modern Theater Spokane on Friday, walks that razor-thin line between comedy and tragedy, and it will likely never go out of style.

Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb and choreographed by Bob Fosse, “Chicago” is based on Maurine Dallas Watkins’ satirical 1926 play, itself inspired by true events. In the decades following its 1975 premiere, the show became one of Broadway’s longest running musicals, and it was adapted into a 2002 feature film that won the Oscar for best picture.

“I have a massive love for Kander and Ebb and Bob Fosse, and the fact that I get to have my hands on it is a really exciting thing for me,” said Abbey Crawford, who’s directing the Modern production. “It’s kind of a dream come true because everybody onstage moves the way that I want them to, I suppose. … It’s been a pretty exciting process.”

“Chicago” is presented as an extended vaudeville act, much of which may be playing out in the head of starry-eyed Roxie Hart (Quinn Vaira). She’s been thrown in prison for killing her lover, and the jail is full of other vampy murderesses, including showgirl Velma Kelly (Angela Rose Pierson, who also choreographed the show).

Roxie and Velma become unexpected rivals behind bars when Velma’s lawyer, professional flim-flam man Billy Flynn (Martin Sanks), decides to take on Roxie’s case. He manages to get her off the hook for the crime and turns her into a media sensation, supplanting Velma’s position in the spotlight.

In terms of story, Crawford says the Modern’s production will be a straightforward adaptation, and it’ll also stick to much of Fosse’s original choreography.

“I would never assume that it was OK for me to change anything Kander and Ebb have done,” she said, “because they’re perfect at what they do.”

But the look of the show does present a new twist: Crawford says the scenery and costumes have been inspired by graphic novel imagery, and set designer Jeremy Whittington, himself a comic book artist, has channeled the sharp angles and bold primary colors of classic comics (think “Sin City” or “Dick Tracy”).

“(The actors) have all really grabbed onto the concept of the graphic novel and moving together and making it sparkle the way it needs to sparkle,” Crawford said. “But whenever I direct a show, I want to bring the humanity to it. I don’t want them just to be comic book characters.”

Although the 1920s setting means “Chicago” will always be a period piece, its story will remain contemporary as long as our culture is obsessed with celebrity, and as long as there are people who are willing to do anything to find fame.

“It’s feminist in nature, but it also plays into everybody’s ego, to be a star up on stage and to have your way no matter what and to be in the limelight for however long,” Crawford said. “The other reason I think it’s such a legendary piece is because the music is glorious,” Crawford said. “Everybody knows ‘All That Jazz.’ Everybody knows ‘Cell Block Tango.’ ”