Monday, February 27, 2023 -My Anesthesia

Monday, February 27, 2023 -My Anesthesia

During my convalescence from hip surgery, I watched many movies at 3:00 AM or 4:00 AM. If you have every had surgery with a general anesthesia, you know it really messes with your sleep patterns. Sidebar: Little known historical fact – Anesthesia was Anastasia of Russia’s first cousin.

I thought it would be motivational to watch a movie with dancing – you know to get back on my feet again. I think people who can sing are great. I think people who can dance are great. But people who can sing AND dance at the same time are just unbelievable. The movie I watched at least three times is:

CHICAGO

Chicago is a 2002 American musical black comedy crime film based on the 1975 stage musical of the same name which in turn originated in the 1926 play of the same name.

Did you know the play and the movie were based on real events? These two would become the inspiration for Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. Unfortunately, they were not able to pull off a bob or a marcel wave like their movie portrayals did.

https://blog.strazcenter.org/2018/09/11/he-had-it-comin/?amp=1

When opening strains of that jazz trumpet play All That Jazz, I just go weak all over. As I watched (and sometimes sang along) I wondered which part I would play best. Would it be Velma Kelly, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones? Or would it be Roxie Hart played by Texas’ very own, from Katy, Texas, Renee Zellweger? I could probably be an okey understudy for Velma Kelly. In my anesthesia induced brain, I can envision no one but Jenny Lee Wax to play Roxie Hart. But I am confident that I would steal the spotlight as Mama Morton.

In addition to Zeta-Jones and Zellweger the film stared Queen Latifa as Mama Morton and Richard Gere as Billy Flynn – all of whom were nominated for Academy Awards!

But we are talking about singing and dancing. Richard Gere learned to tap dance for the scene when the jury is out. I always wanted to step, ball, shuffle.

But it is the Bob Fosse based opening number by Catherine Zeta-Jones that just takes my breath away. Granted, Ginger Rogers danced everything that Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels. Catherine Zeta-Jones not only does that but she was three months pregnant when she played Vera Kelly in Chicago. She would go on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Chicago and Chicago would win best picture.

Now I am going to work on my sheba shake …

Oh, you’re gonna see me
Sheba shimmy shake
And all that jazz

Oh, she’s gonna shimmy
Till her garters break
And all that jazz…