Costume- ‘Chicago’

The costumes are used to create a dark and different, but jazzy,
production in ‘Chicago’. They were very successful in communicating
this style to the audience, in various ways.
The first way was through the shape and fit. The provocative and
tight shape, and smooth texture, was originally intended, by Fosse
(choreographer/writer) to shock audiences, and to make them
realise, from the start, that this is not going to be another mild-
mannered, uncontroversial show – ‘Chicago’ is different. These
costumes reflect the sudden change in style in the 1920s (when the
show is set) after the War. Women especially no longer wanted to
wear long, restricting dresses after World War One, because they
had been wearing, what were traditionally men’s, work clothes. So, a
new era of fashion arose in the young generations of flapper dresses
and shorter skirts, but this horrified the older generations, who had
been used to the traditional style for as long as they could
remember. This is what Fosse was trying to recreate, by choosing
skin-tight costumes. This adds to the dark feel of the show- after the
war (a very dark time) things became filled with jazz and colour.
Perhaps Fosse was trying to communicate that, regardless of
difficult, scary events, we should still try and have fun with whatever
we can. Due to this, the show stands out.
Another way the costumes add to the unique style of the show is
actually, for the most part, through their sheer basicness. They don’t
have accessories, and their colour is merely black, yet this adds a
whole new layer of ease and freedom for the actors. These actors
can become whoever they want/need to be (e.g. reporters). This
could reflect how in the 1920s, after the war, people could almost
start over, and become new people. However, some characters were
dressed in full suit, and they were Billy Flynn (a smooth lawyer,
smartly dressed) and Amos Hart (the complete opposite, a pitiful
business, dressed scraggily). This might show how some people did
go back to a normal, professional existence, in the time this is set.
Also, this contrast between the well-dressed and the under-dressed
allows the actors to really relax into and explore their roles, based on
what they wear. Such as, at the beginning of ‘Chicago’, Roxie is an
impulsive, but weak character, and then, when she becomes a more
professional, strong character, she wears a suit jacket. This contrasts
to Billy Flynn, who is dressed well for the entirety of the show, and is
consistently a powerful, headstrong character. This is showing how
an accessory, or a prop (microphone for a reporter) can completely
transform an actor’s role.