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"Chicago" is hysterical, dramatic, invigorating and fresh. It has been a while since I've seen a musical, I think maybe it was "Moulin Rouge," and I wasn't to crazy about it at first but it grew on me. I think the same goes with America as an audience. We haven't seen musicals in so long that we become wary that they are too corny, but give it to us in a different way, or pep it up with some famous actors we like and we'll watch it, maybe even like it. The same goes for "Chicago". I only wish I could have seen the theater production when it came to Boston last year so I could have something to compare it to.

"Chicago" is a story of murder, fame, ego and the Jazz era of an American city (guess which). We get to meet some interesting characters. First there is Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) a hot little driven jazz singer who is thrown in jail for the murder of her sister and husband when she found them having an affair. Hey, any publicity is good publicity. Then we meet Roxie Hart (Renee Zellwegger), a wanna-be jazz performer who kills her lover when he turns out to have no famous connections as he promised. She tries to pin it on her husband until he discovers the truth about the adultry and she is thrown into prison right next to Velma. The two then spend most of the movie belting it out over who can get the most attention from the press and get off scott-free. The other characters we meet are also fabulous: Richard Gere as the hot-shot lawyer who loves to get his clients' money as much as he loves the spotlight, Queen Latifa as the murderess-row madame who is happy to do her jail-bird gals a favor as long as they return it with interest, and Roxie's dope of a husband who has had it with being invisible.

The songs are great, forcing you to hum them on the way out of the theater, while at work, weeks later. It's hard to believe that the actors actually did all their own dancing and singing! Who knew they could sing, dance, and act at the same time. I wonder if they can chew gum too. Well, either way this movie is a must see, and you must see it in the theater. Half the fun is seeing it big lights! That's showbiz!

4 Stars out of 5