In the musical “Chicago,” the conductor and musicians spend the entire two hour and 30 minute show on stage, sometimes interacting with the show’s stars, including Roxie Hart, and her husband, Amos.
Robert Billig, the supervising music director for the nationally touring production of “Chicago” — in Honolulu through Sunday, Dec. 7 — knows this role well. That is because he conducted it a number of times over the current production’s nearly 30 years of performances.
The original production of “Chicago” opened 50 years ago in 1975 and received 11 Tony nominations, but no awards, as it faced tough competition from “A Chorus Line,” released the same year. Eventually, a revival of “Chicago” returned to the stage. That show transferred to Broadway in November of 1996. Three months after it opened on Broadway, Billig became its conductor, replacing the original conductor, he said.
The revival of “Chicago” went on to win six Tony Awards, including ones for best revival, lighting designer (Ken Billington), director (Walter Bobbie), choreographer (Ann Reinking), actress (Bebe Neuwirth), and actor (James Naughton).
“Chicago,” as fans know it today, recently celebrated 29 years on Broadway. It takes place in the 1920s and follows the story of Roxie Hart, who seeks a life in show business and manipulates the press and public in pursuit of that dream.
“This production of ʻChicago’ is the longest running American musical in Broadway history,” Billig told Aloha State Daily.
While Billig was not in theater productions in college, he was part of the men’s glee club at New York University, which helped him land his first post-college job in the industry. As a senior, he performed in a spring concert, where he sang, accompanied singers on the piano, took the stage as the student conductor, and arranged a song for the program, he said. One of the performers brought a friend to the concert who was a Broadway conductor. Billig expressed an interest in getting his foot in the door.
“And he said: ʻYou know what? I just may have something,’ ” Billig said. “He gave me his phone number and said, ʻCall me in two weeks.’ And two weeks later, I called him, and he had just taken over as music director for the Off Broadway production of ‘Dames at Sea,’ starring Bernadette Peters. That was the sort of the show that kind of put her on the map.”
The musical needed a second piano player, and Billig got the job.
He went on to become the associate conductor for the original Broadway production of “Annie” in 1977. Since then, he has conducted many musicals, including the original Off-Broadway production of “Little Shop of Horrors,” as well as the original Broadway productions of “Les Misérables” and “Miss Saigon,” among others. Billig also conducted “Wicked” on Broadway and for the national touring company.
“Chicago,” presented by Broadway in Hawaiʻi, opened Tuesday, Dec. 2, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall. The director for this tour is David Hyslop, the choreographer is Gregory Butler and the music director is Andy Chen.
Billig spoke with Aloha State Daily ahead of the opening of “Chicago” in Honolulu.
“Chicago” is so well known in the performing arts community. What are some of the things that make this musical so special? Well, first of all, the score, written by John Kander and Fred Ebb. John Kander wrote the music. Fred Ebb did the lyrics. It's a beautiful score. The music is iconic. Everybody, I think knows “All that Jazz.” There are other songs, like “Razzle Dazzle.” ... It's great music. The dancing. The choreography. This production is choreographed by Anne Reinking, who was a disciple of Bob Fosse. As it says in the program, she choreographed it in the style of Bob Fosse, so it's very iconic in its nature, and you'll recognize it from the style of other Fosse projects like “Dancin” and “The Pajama Game” and “Damn Yankees” and “Sweet Charity.” ... The choreography is great. As I said, it's iconic. It's an interesting story, and it's so topical now because it's about corruption. Corruption and politics and getting away with murder.
You mentioned you joined the 1996 revival of “Chicago” three months after it opened on Broadway. What was it like being part of that show? Well, it was interesting because it was the original cast [for the 1996 revival of the show, which won six Tony Awards]. It was Anne Reinking as Roxie, Bebe Neuwirth as Velma, James Naughton as Billy Flynn, Joel Grey as Amos Hart and the lovely Marcia Lewis as Matron “Mama” Morton. Those were all iconic performers. I was happy to slip in and kind of learn their show.
What was the moment where you knew you wanted a career in musical theater? I was very musical as a child. I didn't start piano lessons until I was eight, but I was musical long before then. As a toddler, if I could reach up to a piano, I could plunk out tunes, even though I couldn't see the [keys]. I just sort of had this innate talent. My mother played piano, so I'm convinced that that's where that came from. ... I have two younger brothers. My parents took us to see this movie on a Saturday afternoon, “Damn Yankees.” ... Anyway, jump two years later, three years later, it was 1960. I was 13. There was a summer stock theater right in the next town from where I lived. They were doing a production of one of the shows — theater in the round, in a big tent. They were doing “Damn Yankees,” and they needed a group of kids to sing a reprise of “You Gotta Have Heart.” They were the fan club for this star baseball player. They had auditions for local kids and my younger brother and I got it, and so I got to watch that show every night. I was fascinated watching the conductor. ... That's when it started.
What else do you want to tell readers? Come see the show! It's fun. It's daring. You'll just have a great time. Audiences always leave the theater humming the tunes. ... As I said before, it's very topical and very relevant. It gives you something to think about and fun and laughs along the way, with great music and great dancing.
Tickets for “Chicago” start at $50. Details.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
