Chicago [CD & DVD]

Disc 1
1	Overture/And All That Jazz / Catherine Zeta-Jones 6:04
2	Funny Honey / John C. Reilly 3:39
3	When You're Good to Mama / Taye Diggs 3:19
4	Cell Block Tango / Mýa Harrison 7:22
5	All I Care About / Richard Gere 3:48
6	We Both Reached for the Gun / Rick Negron 3:59
7	Roxie / Renée Zellweger 3:22
8	I Can't Do It Alone / Catherine Zeta-Jones 3:51
9	Mister Cellophane / John C. Reilly 3:57
10	Razzle Dazzle / Richard Gere 3:47
11	Class / Catherine Zeta-Jones 2:54
12	Nowadays (Roxie) / Renée Zellweger 2:14
13	Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag / Catherine Zeta-Jones 3:28
14	I Move On / Catherine Zeta-Jones 4:00
15	After Midnight / Danny Elfman 3:24
16	Roxie's Suite / Danny Elfman 3:58
17	Cell Block Tango (He Had It Comin') / Macy Gray Bonus Track 3:40
18	Love Is a Crime / Anastacia Bonus Track 3:20
Disc 2
1	And All That Jazz / Catherine Zeta-Jones Bonus Track / DVD
2	Behind-The-Scenes Footage Bonus Track / DVD
3	Original Writers' Demos from 1975: And All That Jazz/Roxie/Razzle Dazz

Barnes & Noble

Directed by Rob Marshall (Annie) and adapted for film by Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters), Chicago tells the tale of two ruthless female vaudeville performers -- one past her prime, the other aspiring to stardom -- who compete for notoriety while incarcerated on the city's famed Murderers Row for violently avenging romantic betrayals. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger tackle the lead roles of Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, respectively, with commendable theatrical flair, bringing the seductive musical charm of Bob Fosse's Broadway hit based on the music of John Kander and Fred Ebb to life on the big screen and on this soundtrack. Featuring several songs from both leads, alongside performances from costars Richard Gere (as the devilish lawyer Billy Flynn, who represents both women) and Queen Latifah (as conniving prison matron, Big Mama), the disc takes on a life of its own. Highlights include Zeta-Jones's smoldering rendition of "All That Jazz," Zellweger's breathy, torch-song take on "Nowadays," and Gere's enchanting "Razzle Dazzle." Talented character actor John C. Reilly -- who plays Roxie's unassuming and dimwitted hubby, Amos -- deserves kudos for his heartbreaking performance of "Mister Cellophane," as does Latifah for her sassy showstopper "When You're Good to Mama" and "Class," a comical duet with Zeta-Jones cut from the film. Adding a dash of contemporary flavor to this mesmerizing soundtrack are two songs inspired by the scandalous story: Latifah's female-affirming rap version of "Cell Block Tango (He Had It Comin')," featuring Lil' Kim and Macy Gray, and Anastacia's power-pop ditty "Love Is a Crime." From start to finish, Chicago gives listeners the old razzle-dazzle -- and them some. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

Maurine Watkins' satirical play Chicago has gone through several permutations since it opened at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway on December 30, 1926. There was a silent movie version in 1927, followed by a sound film called Roxie Hart starring Ginger Rogers in 1942. In 1975, director/choreographer Bob Fosse and the songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb brought a darker vision to the story of a murderess who achieves acquittal due to publicity and slick lawyering, and their musical ran 898 performances back on Broadway. But the show really came into its own in 1996 when, in the wake of the O.J. Simpson trial, a revival was mounted that was still running on Broadway six years later when this movie version of the musical was released. The story and setting are perfect for Kander & Ebb, who delight in using musical pastiches of the interwar era to underlie a deeply pessimistic worldview characteristic of such works as Cabaret. Indeed, listeners will be much reminded of that earlier score by this one, in which each character gets one or more hot jazz-style numbers to illuminate his or her villainy. What may surprise listeners is how effective the principals -- Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, and John C. Reilly -- are, given that none of them are known for their singing abilities. Modern studio techniques can do wonders, of course, making actual dubbing virtually unnecessary, but the actors really throw themselves into these performances. Less impressive are the extraneous songs (not actually featured in the film) tacked on at the end, presumably to expand the album's commercial appeal, including a rap by Queen Latifah (who co-stars in the film) and Lil' Kim, and a musically irrelevant dance tune by Anastacia that wasn't even written by Kander & Ebb. [Epic's 2003 edition of the Chicago CD included a bonus DVD with a video of "And All That Jazz," behind-the-scenes footage, and other features.] William Ruhlmann