Chicago - Music from the Movie Quiz

Answer: When You're Good to Mama

Mama is played by Queen Latifah, who belts out this very funny song, after a brief introduction by bandleader Taye Diggs. The song is staged in a nightclub where Queen Latifah moves among the patrons, adding very ribald movements to match the words. As entertaining as it is, it also serves to identify the atmosphere in the women's prison at the time, where one hand literally washes the other.

Interspersed with the nightclub scenes are cuts from Roxie being processed into prison, her naivete a wonderful contrast to Mama's blatant corruption.

Answer: I Can't Do It Alone

Catherine Zeta-Jones, playing Velma Kelly, sings this song to Roxie, played by Renee Zellweger. Bandleader Taye Diggs introduces this song with the very funny line, 'Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Velma Kelly, in an act of desperation'. Velma's notoriety has been eclipsed by Roxie's new fame, and she is desperately, if also reluctantly, trying to make a partner out of Roxie, so that she can piggy-back her way back into the spotlight.

Answer: I Move On

This song is not actually in the movie, but plays during the final credits. It's sung by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger and speaks to the transience of life, and fame, at the time.

Answer: All That Jazz

This very powerful opening number is sung by Catherine Zeta-Jones, as Velma Kelly, in a Cabaret-style, choreographed dance. There is one brief line where Roxie, who is watching the performance, imagines herself in Zeta-Jones' place, which gives us the first sign of Roxie's rich fanatasy world. Velma is performing this song solo for the first time, having just killed her sister and husband, and is, in fact, arrested upon the song's conclusion.

Answer: Funny Honey

This is Roxie's first full 'fantasy song', where she imagines herself dressed to kill, and performing in front of an audience while perched atop Taye Diggs' piano. She starts out by dedicating this number to her husband, in gratitude for saying that he was the one who shot 'the burglar'.

This number is very well done, as it is perfectly timed with the conversation her husband is having with the police, and Roxie's devotion turns to anger, as he realizes that she has played him for a fool, and admits that she did the shooting.

Answer: Cell Block Tango

This powerful number was sung by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Deidre Goodwin, Denise Faye and Ekaterina Chtchelkanova, with Mya Harrison contributing in the monologue. This very clever song and dance occurs the first night Roxie spends in prison, cut with scenes from daily prison life, where Roxie questions the women about why they are there.

It beautifully summarizes the moral atmosphere of Chicago at the time the play/movie was set, where anything, even murder, was seen as defensible.

Answer: Nowadays

The first appearance of this song in the movie was sung by Renee Zellweger, after an introduction by Taye Diggs. The song starts just after she is found not guilty, as one of Roxie's big-time fantasies. It ends with the reality of an audition, when she is having difficulty making a living.

The difference in the timbre of her voice between the two scenes is amazing, emphasizing the fact that she is much better in her fantasies than she is in real life.

Answer: Cell Block Tango

Queen Latifah, Lil' Kim and Macy Gray performed the rap version.

Answer: Razzle Dazzle

This song is sung by Billy Flynn, played by Richard Gere, with a large chorus of heavily-sequined female performers. Just before entering court for her trial, Roxie admits that she's nervous about the outcome. This song is Billy's way of reassuring her and takes place during the court proceedings.

Answer: Nowadays

This version of the song is sung by both Catherine-Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger. After being released from prison, they find that there have been so many incidents of women killing their husbands, that it's no longer enough on it's own to guarantee fame. Banding together and performing as a duo is the solution that works for them, and this number, their performance to an adoring public, is the grand finale of the movie.

Answer: Class

This song was sung by Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones, but was cut from the final version of the movie. It was originally sung in Mama's office, while they were listening to Roxie's trial on the radio. It's an interesting song, loaded with irony, but the pace and tone are definitely out of step with the rest of the musical numbers. It's easy to see why it was cut.

Answer: Roxie

This is arguably the best song in the movie, sung by Renee Zellweger in fantasy mode, with a large male chorus. Zellweger's performance as a Marilyn Monroe type entertainer, with breathy self-absorbtion, is fantastic. I gained a lot more respect for her after seeing this movie, especially this number. Once Billy becomes Roxie's lawyer he launches a campaign to make her name a household word, and she becomes caught up in the glamour of it all.

This song represents her vision of how things will be when she's released from prison.

Answer: All I Care About

Taye Diggs introduced this first song for Richard Gere who performed it with a large female chorus. It's a fun number that really captured the burlesque feel of the era. Gere's character is making all these altruistic statements about why he does what he does, meanwhile the number is cut with scenes of him living in the lap of luxury.

In fact when he first meets Roxie he states that all she means to him is $5,000.

Answer: Mister Cellophane

John C. Reilly played Amos, Roxie's long suffering husband. He did a great job of playing the invisible husband, used by everyone around. Every time he has a meeting with Roxie's lawyer, Billy calls Amos by the wrong name, manipulates him to get what he wants, and then carries on with business, forgetting that Amos is even in the room. Amos sings this song after one of these such meetings, in front of an imaginary theatre crowd that accepts it with very little enthusiasm.

Answer: We Both Reached For the Gun

Richard Gere sings most of the lyrics, while holding Renee Zellweger on his lap, in puppet like fashion. Christine Baranski, Cleve Asbury, and Rick Negron, from the chorus of reporters, also sing lines. Zellweger is outstanding as a wooden marionette, controlled by Gere.

This number is staged after Billy first agrees to act as Roxie's lawyer, and represents the lies told at her press conference.