''Chicago'' is a 1975 American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Set in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

in the jazz age, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same title by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, about actual criminals and the crimes on which she reported. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal". The original Broadway production opened in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances, until 1977. Bob Fosse directed and choreographed the original production, and his style is strongly identified with the show. It debuted in the West End in 1979, where it ran for 600 performances. ''Chicago'' was revived on Broadway in 1996, and a year later in the West End. The 1996 Broadway production holds the record as the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. It is the second longest-running show ever to run on Broadway, behind only '' The Phantom of the Opera''. ''Chicago'' surpassed ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...

'' on November 23, 2014, when it played its 7,486th performance. The West End revival became the longest-running American musical in West End history. ''Chicago'' has been staged in numerous productions around the world, and has toured extensively in the United States and United Kingdom. The 2002 film adaptation of the musical won the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...

History

The musical ''Chicago'' is based on a play of the same name by reporter and playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins, who was assigned to cover the 1924 trials of accused murderers Beulah Annan and

Belva Gaertner Belva Eleanora Gaertner (née Boosinger; September 14, 1884 – May 14, 1965) was an American woman who was acquitted of murder in a 1924 trial. She inspired elements of the 1926 play '' Chicago'' created by Maurine Dallas Watkins; Watkins reporte ...

for the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

''. In the early 1920s, Chicago's press and public became riveted by the subject of homicides committed by women. Several high-profile cases arose, which generally involved women killing their lovers or husbands. These cases were tried against a backdrop of changing views of women in the jazz age, and a long string of acquittals by Cook County juries of female murderers (juries at the time were all male, and convicted murderers generally faced death by hanging). A lore arose that, in Chicago, feminine or attractive women could not be convicted. The ''Chicago Tribune'' generally favored the prosecution's case, while still presenting the details of these women's lives. Its rivals at the Hearst papers were more pro-defendant, and employed what were derisively called "sob-sisters" – women reporters who focused on the plight, attractiveness, redemption, or grace of the female defendants. Regardless of stance, the press covered several of these women as celebrities. Annan, the model for the character of Roxie Hart, was 23 when she was accused of the April 3, 1924 murder of Harry Kalstedt, who served as the basis for the Fred Casely character. The ''Tribune'' reported that Annan played the

foxtrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a tim ...

record ''Hula Lou'' over and over for two hours before calling her husband to say she killed a man who "tried to make love to her". Her husband Albert Annan inspired the character, Amos Hart. Albert was an auto mechanic who bankrupted himself to defend his wife, only for her to publicly dump him the day after she was acquitted. Velma Kelly is based on Gaertner, who was a cabaret singer, and society divorcée. The body of Walter Law was discovered slumped over the steering wheel of Gaertner's abandoned car on March 12, 1924. Two police officers testified that they had seen a woman getting into the car and shortly thereafter heard gunshots. A bottle of gin and an automatic pistol were found on the floor of the car. Lawyers William Scott Stewart and W. W. O'Brien were models for a composite character in ''Chicago'', Billy Flynn. Just days apart, separate juries acquitted both women. Watkins' sensational columns documenting these trials proved so popular that she wrote a play based on them. The show received both good box-office sales and newspaper notices and was mounted on Broadway in 1926, running 172 performances. Cecil B. DeMille produced a

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

version, ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' (1927), starring former Mack Sennett bathing beauty

Phyllis Haver Phyllis Maude Haver (January 6, 1899 – November 19, 1960) was an American actress of the silent film era. Early life Haver was born in Douglass, Kansas to James Hiram Haver (1872–1936) and Minnie Shanks Malone (1879–1949). When ...

as Roxie Hart. It was later remade as '' Roxie Hart'' (1942) starring Ginger Rogers, but in this version, Roxie was accused of murder without having really committed it, due to content restrictions on Hollywood films of the era. In the 1960s,

Gwen Verdon Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for t ...

read the play and asked her husband, Bob Fosse, about the possibility of creating a musical adaptation. Fosse approached playwright Watkins numerous times to buy the rights, but she repeatedly declined; by this point she may have regretted that Annan and Gaertner had been allowed to walk free, and that her treatment of them should not be glamorized. Nonetheless, upon her death in 1969, her estate sold the rights to producer Richard Fryer, Verdon, and Fosse. John Kander and Fred Ebb began work on the musical score, modeling each number on a traditional

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

number or a vaudeville performer. This format made explicit the show's comparison between "justice", "show-business", and contemporary society. Ebb and Fosse penned the book of the musical, and Fosse also directed and

choreographed Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

Synopsis

Act I

Velma Kelly is a vaudevillian who welcomes the audience to tonight's show (" All That Jazz"). Interplayed with the opening number, the scene cuts to February 14, 1928, in the bedroom of chorus girl Roxie Hart, where she murders Fred Casely as he attempts to break off an affair with her. Roxie convinces her husband Amos that the victim was a burglar, and Amos agrees to take the blame. Roxie expresses her appreciation of her husband's willingness to do anything for her ("Funny Honey"). However, when the police mention the deceased's name, Amos belatedly realizes that Roxie has lied to him. With both Roxie and Amos furious at each other for the other's betrayal, Roxie confesses and is arrested. She is sent to the women's block in the Cook County Jail, where several women accused of killing their lovers are held ("

Cell Block Tango "Cell Block Tango" is a song from the 1975 musical ''Chicago'', with music composed by John Kander and lyrics written by Fred Ebb. Description At the Cook County Jail women's annex, six women explain their presence in the jail, all of whom stand ...

"); among the inmates is Velma Kelly, revealing herself to have been involved in the death of her husband and sister after she caught them having sex, though she denies committing the act on account of blacking out from the sight. The block is presided over by Matron "Mama" Morton, whose system of taking

bribes Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corru ...

("When You're Good to Mama") perfectly suits her clientele. She has helped Velma become the media's top murderer-of-the-week and is acting as a booking agent for Velma's big return to vaudeville. Velma is not happy to see Roxie, who is stealing not only her limelight but also her lawyer, Billy Flynn. Roxie convinces Amos to pay for Billy Flynn to be her lawyer ("A Tap Dance"), though Amos lacks the funds. Eagerly awaited by his all-woman clientele, Billy sings his anthem, complete with a chorus of fan dancers ("All I Care About"). Billy takes Roxie's case before realizing Amos doesn't have the money; to make up the difference, he turns the case into a media circus and rearranges her story for consumption by sympathetic tabloid columnist Mary Sunshine ("A Little Bit of Good"), hoping to sell proceeds in an auction. Roxie's press conference turns into a ventriloquist act, with Billy dictating a new version of the truth ("We Both Reached for the Gun") to the reporters while Roxie mouths the words. Roxie becomes the most popular celebrity in Chicago, as she boastfully proclaims while planning for her future career in vaudeville ("Roxie"). As Roxie's fame grows, Velma's notoriety subsides, and in an act of desperation she tries to talk Roxie into recreating the sister act ("I Can't Do It Alone"). Roxie turns her down, only to find her own headlines replaced by the latest sordid crime of passion ("I Can't Do It Alone (Reprise)"). Separately, Roxie and Velma realize there is no one they can count on but themselves ("My Own Best Friend"), and Roxie decides that being pregnant in prison would put her back on the front page.

Act II

Velma returns to introduce the opening act, resentful of Roxie's manipulation of the system ("I Know a Girl") and ability to seduce a doctor into saying Roxie is pregnant; as Roxie emerges, she sings gleefully of the future of her unborn (nonexistent) child ("Me and My Baby"). Amos proudly claims paternity, but still, nobody notices him, and Billy exposes holes in Roxie's story by noting that she and Amos had not had sex in four months, meaning if she were pregnant, the child was not Amos's, in hopes that Amos will divorce her and look like a villain, which Amos almost does ("Mr. Cellophane"). Velma tries to show Billy all the tricks she has planned for her trial ("When Velma Takes The Stand"), which Roxie treats skeptically. Roxie, upset with being treated like a "common criminal" and considering herself a celebrity, has a heated argument with Billy and fires him; Billy warns her that her kind of celebrity is fleeting and that she would be just as famous hanging from a noose. At that moment, Roxie witnesses one of her fellow inmates, a Hungarian woman who insisted on her innocence but could not speak English and whose public lawyer refused to defend her, become the first woman to be executed in Chicago in decades ("Hungarian Rope Trick"). The trial date arrives, and the now freshly terrified Roxie runs back to Billy, who calms Roxie by suggesting she will be fine so long as she makes a show of the trial ("Razzle Dazzle"). Billy uses Amos as a pawn, turning around and insisting that Amos is actually the father of Roxie's child. As Roxie recounts Billy's carefully crafted false narrative of the night of Fred's murder (with Fred re-appearing on stage in flashback), she steals all of Velma's schtick, down to the rhinestone garter, to the dismay of Mama and Velma ("Class"). As promised, Billy gets Roxie acquitted, but just as the verdict is announced, some even more sensational crime pulls the press away, and Roxie's fleeting celebrity life is over. Billy leaves, done with the case, admitting that he only did it for the money. Amos tries to get Roxie to come home and forget the ordeal, but she is more concerned with the end of her brief run of fame and admits she isn't pregnant, at which point a fed up Amos leaves her. The final scene cuts to a Chicago vaudeville theater, where Roxie and Velma (acquitted off-stage) are performing a new act in which they sing bittersweetly about modern life ("Nowadays"). The former Mary Sunshine, revealed during the trial actually to be a man in drag, takes his natural male form as a pushy vaudeville promoter, shaping Roxie and Velma's dance ("Hot Honey Rag") to make it as sexy as possible. The show ends with a brief finale as Roxie and Velma thank their audience ("Finale").

Musical numbers

;1975 Original Broadway Production ''"Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville"'' ;Act 1 * "Overture" – Orchestra * " All That Jazz" – Velma Kelly and Company * "Funny Honey" – Roxie Hart, Amos Hart, Sergeant Fogarty * "

" – Velma and the Girls * "When You're Good to Mama" – Matron "Mama" Morton * "Tap Dance" – Roxie, Amos, and Boys * "All I Care About" – Billy Flynn and the Girls * "A Little Bit of Good" – Mary Sunshine * "We Both Reached for the Gun" – Billy, Roxie, Mary Sunshine * "Roxie" – Roxie and Boys * "I Can't Do It Alone" – Velma * "Chicago After Midnight" – Orchestra * "My Own Best Friend" – Roxie and Velma ;Act 2 * "I Know a Girl" – Velma * "Me and My Baby" – Roxie and Company * "Mr. Cellophane" – Amos Hart * "When Velma Takes the Stand" – Velma and Boys * "Razzle Dazzle" – Billy and Company * "Class" – Velma and Morton * "Nowadays" – Roxie * Finale: "Nowadays"/"R.S.V.P"/"Keep It Hot" – Roxie and Velma † ;1996 Revival Production ''"Chicago: The Musical"'' ;Act 1 * "Overture" – Orchestra * " All That Jazz" – Velma Kelly and Company * "Funny Honey" – Roxie Hart * "

" – Velma and the Murderesses * "When You're Good to Mama" – Matron "Mama" Morton * "Tap Dance" – Roxie, Amos, and Boys * "All I Care About" – Billy Flynn and the Girls * "A Little Bit of Good" – Mary Sunshine * "We Both Reached for the Gun" – Billy, Roxie, Mary and the Reporters * "Roxie" – Roxie and the Boys * "I Can't Do It Alone" – Velma * "I Can't Do It Alone (Reprise)" – Velma * "Chicago After Midnight" – Orchestra * "My Own Best Friend" – Roxie and Velma * "Finale Act I: All That Jazz (Reprise)" – Velma ;Act 2 * "Entr'acte" – Orchestra * "I Know a Girl" – Velma * "Me and My Baby" – Roxie and Company * "Mr. Cellophane" – Amos Hart * "When Velma Takes the Stand" – Velma and the Boys * "Razzle Dazzle" – Billy and Company * "Class" – Velma and Mama Morton * "Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag" – Velma and Roxie * "Finale Act II: All That Jazz (Reprise)" – Company † In the 1975 Original Broadway Production and its Playbill, there are a few contradicting song lists. Songs such as "R.S.V.P" and "Keep It Hot" which were instrumental pieces in the "Finale" were removed from the licensable music, but were included in original production and script. Other songs such as "Ten Percent" sung by a deleted character who was Velma's agent, and "No" sung by Roxie and Boys were cut soon into the production and only appear on demo recordings and in the original Playbill, but are not in the original script. Other cut songs from the show were "Rose Colored Glasses" a different version of "We Both Reached for the Gun", "Pansy Eyes", and "Loopin' the Loop".

Cast and characters

Original casts

Source for West End: overthefootlights.co.uk Principal characters (defined as having at least one featured musical number) and original performers of notable productions:

Notable replacements

Broadway (1975–1977) *Roxie Hart:

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Adriane Lenox Adriane Lenox is an American actress, best known for her performances in Broadway theatre. Her performance in the play '' Doubt: A Parable'' garnered her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2005. She received another Tony Award ...

, Debra Monk, Anne L. Nathan,

Michele Pawk Michele Pawk (born November 16, 1961) is an American actress and singer. She is also an associate professor for theatre. Biography Born in Butler, Pennsylvania, Pawk attended Allegheny College and the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati ...

Christine Pedi Christine Pedi born in 1961-1962, is an American television and theatre actress, as well as a cabaret performer and radio personality. Early life Pedi was born in Yonkers, New York, lived in the Bronx and then moved to Eastchester, New York. S ...

, Roz Ryan,

Camille Saviola Camille Saviola (July 16, 1950 – October 28, 2021) was an American actress and singer. She appeared in numerous films, television series, plays and musicals. Early life Saviola was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, the daughter of ...

, Valerie Simpson, Angie Stone, Mary Testa, Aida Turturro, Sofía Vergara, Lillias White,

Terri White Terri White is an American actress and singer. Career The daughter of traveling musicians Bill White and Gertrude Hughes, White has appeared in '' Nunsense 2: The Sequel'' (1994), '' Ain't Misbehavin (1978), '' Barnum'' (1980), '' Welcome to ...

, Wendy Williams, Chandra Wilson,

Carol Woods Carol may refer to: People with the name *Carol (given name) * Henri Carol (1910–1984), French composer and organist * Martine Carol (1920–1967), French film actress * Sue Carol (1906–1982), American actress and talent agent, wife of actor ...

, Jinkx Monsoon *Mary Sunshine: Daniel Levine, Max von Essen West End revival (1997–2012) *Roxie Hart:

Tina Arena Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...

, Emma Barton, Christie Brinkley, Jennifer Ellison, America Ferrera, Maria Friedman,

Josefina Gabrielle Josefina Gabrielle (born October 1963) is a British stage and television actress, and a former ballet dancer, best known for her performances in West End musicals and plays. Theatrical career Gabrielle was born in London in October 1963 to a ...

, Jill Halfpenny, Linzi Hateley, Bonnie Langford,

Aoife Mulholland Aoife Mulholland ( , ; born 29 May 1978) is an Irish actress and musical theatre performer from Salthill, Galway. Aoife is a successful leading lady in London's West End. She has starred as Roxie Hart (twice) in '' Chicago'', at the Cambridge ...

Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle (born 29 August 1965) is an English musical theatre actress and singer. She won a Tony Award in 1987, and represented the United Kingdom in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free)", ...

, Suzanne Shaw,

, Ashlee Simpson, Claire Sweeney, Sally Ann Triplett, Denise van Outen, Michelle Williams *Velma Kelly: Anna-Jane Casey,

, Ruthie Henshall, Nicola Hughes,

Debbie Kurup Debbie Kurup (born 3 July 1979) is an English actress. Acting career Kurup's theatrical credits include: !Sweet Charity! (Donmar Warehouse), "Girl from the North Country" (Old Vic -original London cast) and "The Threepenny Opera" (National Theat ...

Rachel McDowall Rachel Anne McDowall (born 4 October 1984) is an English actress. Early life Rachel Anne McDowall was born on 4 October 1984 in Whiston, Merseyside. She developed an affinity for drama while attending Wade Deacon High School in nearby Widnes, Ch ...

, Valerie Pettiford,

*Billy Flynn:

Luca Barbareschi Luca Barbareschi (born 28 July 1956 in Montevideo) is an Italian-Uruguayan actor, television presenter, and former member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Barbareschi is Jewish. He was one of four actors whom the Italian police believed had ...

, John Barrowman, David Bedella, Darius Campbell,

, Robin Cousins, Juan Pablo Di Pace, John Diedrich, Sacha Distel, Michael French, Matthew Goodgame, Michael Greco, Tony Hadley,

David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on '' The Yo ...

Raza Jaffrey Raza Jaffrey (born 28 May 1973) is a British actor and singer, who starred as Neal Hudson on the CBS TV medical drama '' Code Black''. He is best known for playing Zafar Younis on the BBC One spy drama series '' Spooks''. In 2014, he played P ...

, Duncan James, Ian Kelsey, Craig McLachlan, Jimmy Osmond,

, Clarke Peters, Kevin Richardson,

Rolf Saxon Rolf Saxon is an American actor. He is well known for his voice over work in video games, movies and TV shows. Life and career Saxon was born at Fort Belvoir in Alexandria, Virginia. He has worked with American Conservatory Theatre, Cal Shakes, ...

Michael Siberry Michael Siberry (born 1956) is an Australian stage and screen actor. Life and career Siberry was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. He graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, Australia and began his career in Adelai ...

, Jerry Springer, Jonathan Wilkes, Gary Wilmot *Amos Hart:

Justin Lee Collins Justin Lee Collins (born 28 July 1974) is an actor and former radio and television presenter from Bristol, England. Collins began his career as a stand up comedian in the 1990s when he was in his late teens. He then presented a number of TV s ...

Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor with many credits in television dramas and sitcoms. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan ...

, Les Dennis, James Doherty, Joel Grey, Gareth Hale, Kevin Kennedy, George Layton,

Victor McGuire Victor McGuire (born 17 March 1964 in Tuebrook, Liverpool) is an English actor perhaps best known for playing Jack Boswell in series 1–3, 5-7 of Carla Lane's ''Bread'', Ron Wheatcroft in every series of '' Goodnight Sweetheart'' and its 2016 ...

Dale Meeks Dale Meeks (born 16 November 1975) is an English television and theatre actor. Acting career Dale Meeks is a Geordie actor best known for his role as Simon Meredith in the British TV drama ''Emmerdale''. and as the winner of ITV's Celebrity St ...

, Norman Pace, Clive Rowe *Matron “Mama” Morton:

Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of t ...

, Sharon D. Clarke, Anita Dobson,

Brenda Edwards Brenda Claudina Susan Edwards (' Artman; born 2 March 1969) is an English singer, actress, television personality and presenter. In 2005, she finished in fourth place in the second series of ''The X Factor''. As of 2019, she is a weekly paneli ...

, Diane Langton,

Alison Moyet Geneviève Alison Jane Ballard ( ; born 18 June 1961) is an English singer noted for her powerful bluesy contralto voice. She came to prominence as half of the duo Yazoo (also known as Yaz), but has since mainly worked as a solo artist. He ...

, Kelly Osbourne, Gaby Roslin *Mary Sunshine:

, Nathan Kiley

Musical and staging style

According to Fred Ebb, he wrote the book in a

style because "the characters were performers. Every musical moment in the show was loosely modeled on someone else: Roxie was Helen Morgan, Velma was Texas Guinan, Billy Flynn was Ted Lewis, Mama Morton was

Sophie Tucker Sophie Tucker (born Sofia Kalish; January 13, 1886 – February 9, 1966) was an American singer, comedian, actress, and radio personality. Known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertaine ...

." Composer John Kander elaborates that the reason the show was called a vaudeville "is because many of the songs we wrote are related to specific performers like those you mentioned, and

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

and Bert Williams as well." It was through the initial production, and not the writing, that many of the "traditional" ''Chicago'' staging conventions were developed: The double snap in "Razzle Dazzle" was added as an afterthought at the suggestion of Ebb to Kander. Kander explains: "I remember when we wrote "Razzle Dazzle", before we took it in and played it for Bob, you bbsaid with absolute confidence 'Try adding a couple of finger snaps to it. Bobby will love that.' We added them...and as soon as he heard the finger snaps, he loved the song." During rehearsals, "Razzle Dazzle" was originally staged as an orgy on the steps of the courthouse. Fosse was talked out of allowing this staging, when Orbach "convinced him that he was missing the Brechtian subtlety intrinsic in the number."Leve, James.
''Kander and Ebb'', "Chapter: Chicago-Broadway To Hollywood"
''Kander and Ebb'', Yale University Press, 2009, , p. 86 The original finale was "Loopin' the Loop", a doubles act with Verdon and Rivera; however, "the scene seemed too much like an amateur act so Fosse asked for something more 'glamorous in pretty gowns'". The piece was cut and replaced with "Nowadays". Instrumental sections of "Loopin' the Loop" can still be heard in the Overture. Two other sections termed "Keep It Hot" and "RSVP" were cut from the finale as well. Another principal character, a theatrical agent named Harry Glassman, was played by

David Rounds David Rounds (October 9, 1930, Bronxville, New York – December 9, 1983, Lomontville, Ulster County, New York) was an American actor of stage and screen. He received both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award in 1980 for his role in ''Morning' ...

, whose role was to exploit the notoriety of the prisoners for his own gain. He also served as the evening's M.C. This character's role and the song "Ten Percent" was cut, with the character folded into that of Matron Mama Morton, and various members of the chorus shared his M.C. duties. In a reversal of roles, Fosse decided the lyrics for "Class" were too offensive and censored Kander and Ebb's original version. One of the original lyrics "Every guy is a snot/Every girl is a twat" was restored for the 2002 film, although the entire number was cut from the final product.

Productions

Original Broadway production

Michael O'Haughey and Jerry Orbach in Chicago musical

''Chicago: A Musical Vaudeville'' opened on June 3, 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre, and ran for a total of 936 performances, closing on August 27, 1977. The opening night cast starred

as Velma Kelly,

as Roxie Hart, Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn and

Barney Martin Barney Martin (March 3, 1923 – March 21, 2005) was an American actor, best known for playing Morty Seinfeld, father of Jerry, on the sitcom ''Seinfeld'' (1991-1998). He also played supporting roles in Mel Brooks' '' The Producers'' (1967), ...

as Amos Hart. Velma Kelly had been a comparatively minor character in all versions of ''Chicago'' prior to the musical rendering. The role was fleshed out to balance

's role opposite Gwen Verdon's Roxie Hart. The musical received mixed reviews. The

Brechtian Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

style of the show, which frequently dropped the

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...

, made audiences uncomfortable. According to James Leve, "''Chicago'' is cynical and subversive, exploiting American cultural mythologies in order to attack American celebrity culture." The show opened the same year as Michael Bennett's highly successful '' A Chorus Line'', which beat out ''Chicago'' in both ticket sales and at the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

s. The show was on the verge of closing when it ran into another setback: Gwen Verdon had to have surgery on nodes in her throat after inhaling a feather during the show's finale. The producers contemplated closing the show, but

stepped in and offered to play the role of Roxie Hart in place of Verdon. Her run lasted slightly over a month (August 8, 1975, through September 13, 1975), boosting the show's popularity, until Gwen Verdon recuperated and returned to the show.

, who would go on to star in the highly successful 1996 revival and choreograph that production in the style of Bob Fosse, was also a cast replacement for Roxie Hart during the show's original run.

1979 West End

The first West End, London production opened at the

Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and construction It was de ...

in April 1979 and ran for around 600 performances (having had its European premiere at the Crucible Theatre,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

, on 23 November 1978). It commenced in the West End with most of the Sheffield cast, and was directed by Peter James and choreographed by

Gillian Gregory Gillian Gregory is an English dancer and choreographer for stage and film. Gregory is a patron of the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. She was born and raised in Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a ma ...

. The producers were Ray Cooney and Larry Parnes.

Jenny Logan Jenny Logan (born 1942) is an English actress, trained dancer and singer. Though she played WPC Sally Reed in the television series ''Dixon of Dock Green'' between 1968 and 1969, she is most familiar from her appearances in the TV commercial for ...

starred as Velma Kelly, with Ben Cross as Billy, Antonia Ellis as Roxie Hart and Don Fellows as Amos Hart. Ellis (Actress of the Year in a Musical) and Ben Cross (Actor of the Year in a Musical) were nominated for the

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for their performances, and the musical was nominated as Musical of the Year.

Elizabeth Seal Elizabeth Anne Seal (born 28 August 1933) is a British actress. In 1961, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in the title role of '' Irma La Douce''. Career Elizabeth Seal made her professional de ...

later replaced Ellis as Roxie Hart.

1981 Australia

The original Australian production opened at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

's Drama Theatre in June 1981. Featuring Nancye Hayes (Roxie), Geraldine Turner (Velma), Terence Donovan (Billy),

Judi Connelli Judi Connelli AM (born 20 July 1947) is an Australian singer and actress in theatre, opera and television. Connelli is best known for her career in opera and stage musicals. As a singer she has starred in performable with the Sydney Symphony ...

(Mama) and George Spartels (Amos), it was a new production directed by Richard Wherrett for the

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...

, rather than a replica of the Broadway production. It transferred to the Theatre Royal in Sydney, before touring to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre, Adelaide's Festival Theatre and a return season at the Theatre Royal, playing until March 1982. Sydney Theatre Company's production also toured to the Hong Kong Arts Festival in February 1983.

1992 Los Angeles production

The Long Beach Civic Light Opera presented Chicago in 1992, directed by Rob Marshall with choreography by

. Juliet Prowse played Roxy opposite

as Velma. Gary Sandy played Billy Flynn with Kaye Ballard as Mama Morton.

1996 Broadway revival

City Center

Encores! Encores! is a Tony-honored concert series dedicated to performing rarely heard American musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, Encores! has revived shows by Irving Berlin, Rodgers & ...

series presented ''Chicago'' in concert in May 1996.Haun, Harry and Viagas, Rober
"Hit 'Encores!' 'Chicago' Definite for B'way"
playbill.com, June 18, 1996 The Encores! series, according to their statement, "celebrates the rarely heard works of America's most important composers and lyricists...Encores! gives three glorious scores the chance to be heard as their creators originally intended." The production was directed by Walter Bobbie with choreography "in the style of Bob Fosse" by

, who also reprised her previous role as Roxie Hart. Also in the cast were

as Velma Kelly, Joel Grey as Amos Hart and

James Naughton James Naughton (born December 6, 1945) is an American actor and director. He is best known as Michael Bower on '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984-1992) and was also notable for his earlier role as the astronaut Pete Burke in the 1974 single-season telev ...

as Billy Flynn. The show was well-received, with Howard Kissel, reviewing for the ''

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ...

'' writing that "This ''Chicago'' impressed me far more than the original.". Ben Brantley, in his review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', wrote " 'Make love to the audience' was another Fosse dictum. That's exactly what Ms. Reinking and her ensemble do. ''Chicago'' can still seem glibly cynical and artificially cold, especially in its weaker second act. But these performers know just how to take off the chill." By May 10, 1996, there was talk of a Broadway production: "Down the block, there is a move afoot to move the Encores production of ''Chicago'' to Broadway. Rocco Landesman said that he and Fran and Barry Weissler wanted to bring the production to the Martin Beck Theater this summer." Barry and Fran Weissler brought the Encores! production to Broadway, after some revision and expansion, but retaining the spare and minimalist style in costumes and set.Sommer, Elyse
"Review. 'Chicago'"
curtainup.com, accessed April 19, 2015 The set design includes the presence of the band center stage in an evocation of a jury box, around and upon which the actors play some scenes. There are also chairs along the sides of this central piece, in which the actors at times sit or lounge, when not directly involved in the action. The show opened on November 14, 1996, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (the same theater where the original production had played) with a script adapted by David Thompson, eventually setting a record for recovering its initial costs faster than any other musical in history, likely due in part to the stripped-down design elements. Unlike the original production, the revival was met with praise from critics. The ''CurtainUp'' reviewer noted, "The show garnered ecstatic reviews, enviable box office sales and enough awards to warrant a special Chicago trophy room." Society had changed in light of events such as the O. J. Simpson murder case, and audiences were more receptive to the criminal-as-celebrity theme of the show. The revival of ''Chicago'' won six

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, more than any other revival in Broadway history until ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' won seven Tonys in 2008. ''Chicago'' won for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actress in a Musical for

, Best Leading Actor in a Musical for

, Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Ken Billington, Best Director of a Musical for Walter Bobbie and Best Choreography for

." 'Chicago' 1996 REvival"
playbillvault.com, accessed April 19, 2015 ''Chicago: The Musical'' has run for more than 9,000 performances" 'Chicago' Listing"
IBDB.com and holds the record for longest-running musical revival on Broadway. Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton, and Joel Grey returned for cameo appearances. The cast recording of the revival was released on January 28, 1997, on RCA Victor. The cast recording won the 1997

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for

Best Musical Show Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more pla ...

. Among the many other performers and celebrities who have appeared in the show are

, Amra-Faye Wright,

, Ana Villafañe,

, Ashlee Simpson,

, Brandy Norwood,

, Chandra Wilson,

, Christie Brinkley,

, Christopher Fitzgerald,

, Cuba Gooding Jr., Debra Monk,

, Elvis Stojko,

, Erika Jayne, Gretchen Mol, Isaac Mizrahi,

, James Monroe Iglehart, Jeff McCarthy, Jennifer Holliday, Jennifer Nettles, Jerry Springer,

, John O'Hurley, Kara DioGuardi, Kevin Richardson,

, Lillias White, Lisa Rinna,

, Melora Hardin, Michael C. Hall, Michelle Williams,

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...

, Nana Visitor, NeNe Leakes,

, Patrick Swayze, Paulo Szot,

, Rita Wilson, Rob Bartlett, Roz Ryan, Rumer Willis, Ruthie Henshall, Samantha Harris, Shiri Maimon, Sofía Vergara, Taye Diggs, Todrick Hall, Tony Yazbeck,

, Veronica Dunne, and Wendy Williams. On February 12, 1997, the Broadway production moved into the larger Shubert Theatre. On January 29, 2003, more than six years into its run, the Broadway production moved a second time, to the Ambassador Theatre, where it has played ever since. On November 23, 2014, ''Chicago'' became the second longest-running Broadway show, surpassing ''Cats''.

London revivals

On November 18, 1997, the revival production opened in London's West End. Like the New York revival, it was directed by Walter Bobbie and designed by John Lee Beatty, with choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse.Bosanquet, Theo
"''Ugly Betty's'' America Ferrera Leads ''Chicago'' at Garrick
, WhatsOnStage, October 10, 2011 The show ran at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...

for nine years until transferring to the

in April 2006. The original cast of the production included German jazz singer

as Velma, British actress Ruthie Henshall as Roxie Hart,

Nigel Planer Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953) is a British actor, comedian, musician, novelist and playwright. He played Neil in the BBC comedy '' The Young Ones'' and Ralph Filthy in '' Filthy Rich & Catflap''. He has appeared in many West End ...

as Amos Hart, and

Henry Goodman Henry Goodman (born 23 April 1950) is a RADA trained British actor. He has appeared on television and radio, in film and in the theatre. Early life He attended the Central Foundation Boys' School and joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, ...

as Billy Flynn. The production won the 1998 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical, and Lemper was awarded Best Actress in a Musical. Both Lemper and Henshall have played the role of Velma on Broadway. Like its Broadway counterpart, the London production featured many celebrities, including

, America Ferrera, Anita Dobson,

, Ashlee Simpson, Bonnie Langford,

, Christie Brinkley, Claire Sweeney, Clive Rowe, Darius Campbell,

, Denise van Outen,

, Gaby Roslin, Ian Kelsey, James Doherty, Jennifer Ellison, Jerry Springer, Jill Halfpenny, Joel Grey, John Barrowman,

, Kelly Osbourne, Kevin Richardson,

, Les Dennis, Linzi Hateley,

, Maria Friedman,

, Michael French, Michael Greco, Michelle Williams,

, Sacha Distel, Sally Ann Triplett,

, and Tony Hadley. The production moved out of the Cambridge Theatre on August 27, 2011 and transferred to the Garrick Theatre on November 7, 2011, starring America Ferrera as Roxie. Robin Cousins joined the cast as Billy Flynn on July 17, 2012. The show closed on September 1, 2012 after a total run of nearly 15 years in London. The UK tour of the production continued after the closing. To celebrate the 21st Anniversary of the West End revival production, ''Chicago'' returned, this time at the Phoenix Theatre opening April 11, 2018, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Billy Flynn, Sarah Soetaert as Roxie Hart,

as Velma Kelly, and Ruthie Henshall as Mama Morton. A cast change saw Martin Kemp take over the role of Billy Flynn, with

Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series '' The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and S ...

as Roxie Hart and Mazz Murray as Mama Morton. Denise Van Outen was announced to take over the role of Velma from 24 September 2018, but due to sustaining a stress fracture in her heel, her integration was delayed until 7 October. The production featured on ITV's reality show, The Big Audition, to cast the replacement Velma. Following multiple rounds of singing, dancing and acting auditions, Laura Tyrer was selected to fill in for the role.

North American tours

There have been ten North American national tours of ''Chicago''.Gans, Andrew.
"Wopat, Marroquin, MacLeod and Ryan to Head Cast of 'Chicago' Tour"
playbill.com, September 16, 2008 The first tour started in April 1997 in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

, six months after the revival opened on Broadway. The cast featured

(Roxie Hart), Jasmine Guy (Velma Kelly),

(Billy Flynn) and

(Matron "Mama" Morton). A second company started in December 1997 in

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...

, Florida. The tour went on hiatus in Fall 1999 and started again in October 1999 in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, featuring Robert Urich as Billy Flynn,

(Velma) and Nana Visitor (Roxie). The next tour started in October 2000 in

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 202 ...

, with Robert Urich. Chita Rivera joined the tour for several weeks. The 2003 tour started in June 2003 at the National Theatre,

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morg ...

, with Brenda Braxton playing Velma,

Bianca Marroquin Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. Variants * Blanche: French * Bianca: Italian * Bianka ( Polish, Hungarian, Slovak, German, English, French, Icelandic, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian ...

as Roxie, and Gregory Harrison as Billy Flynn. During 2004 the tour cast included

and Tom Wopat as Billy Flynn and

as Matron "Mama" Morton. The most recent tour started in November 2008 in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

and starred Tom Wopat as Billy Flynn, Bianca Marroquin as Roxie Hart, Terra C. MacLeod as Velma Kelly and Roz Ryan (later replaced by Carol Woods) as Matron "Mama" Morton. On January 16, 2012 Peruvian actor

joined the cast as Billy Flynn.

2019 Australia

On 14 June 2018, the Gordon Frost Organisation announced a revival tour of ''Chicago'' commencing early 2019 at the Capitol Theatre in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

. The show starred Natalie Bassingthwaighte as Roxie and Casey Donovan as Mama Morton. The Melbourne leg of the tour starred

Jason Donovan Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 m ...

as Billy Flynn. Donovan's father

Terence Publius Terentius Afer (; – ), better known in English as Terence (), was a Roman African playwright during the Roman Republic. His comedies were performed for the first time around 166–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought ...

had played the same role in the 1981 Australian production.

2021 UK Tour

A new UK and Ireland tour began on September 11, 2021 at the King's Theatre, Glasgow.

International productions

The first Japanese-language production of the Tony-winning revival of Kander and Ebb's ''Chicago'' debuted in October 2008 at the Akasaka ACT Theatre in Tokyo, Japan, followed by an engagement at Osaka's Umeda Art Theatre. Presented by Barry and Fran Weissler in association with Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc. and Kyodo Tokyo Inc., the b production starred Ryoko Yonekura as Roxie Hart, Yōka Wao as Velma Kelly and Ryuichi Kawamura as Billy Flynn. In

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, the musical opened on June 16, 2012 starring Tati Alcántara, Denisse Dibós, and

at Teatro Municipal de Lima in

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...

. The show was also staged using a Spanish translation in Costa Rica in 2017 starring Silvia Baltodano and Isabel Guzman. A French-language production of ''Chicago'', based on the Broadway 1996 revival, opened on September 18, 2018 at Théâtre Mogador in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

with Sofia Essaïdi as Velma Kelly, Carien Keizer as Roxie Hart and Jean-Luc Guizone as Billy Flynn. Directed by Dominique Trottein with a book translated by Nicolas Engel, this production is choreographed by

and the music was supervised by Rob Bowman. This production closed on June 30, 2019. The

Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...

Ontario, Canada Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, presented an entirely new production of Chicago as part of their 2020 season; the organization was granted new production rights outside of New York or London for the first time in 30 years. It was directed by Donna Feore. A new production directed by Drew Anthony and choreographed by Lauren Ferreira was staged at The Royale Theatre at Planet Royale during September 2022, with Lucy Williamson as Velma, Elethea Sartorelli as Roxie, Brendan Hanson as Billy Flynn, Rachel Monamy as Mama Morton, Vincent Hooper as Amos and Greg Jarema as Mary Sunshine.

Recordings

There have been several cast recordings of ''Chicago'': *1975 Original Broadway Cast *1981 Original Australian Cast *1996 Broadway Revival *1998 London Cast"'Chicago' 1998 London Cast"
amazon.com, accessed October 2, 2011 *1997 Austrian (German language) Cast – Live Cast Album (with

) *1999 Dutch Cast – Live Cast Album, 2 discs (with

) * 2002 Film Soundtrack *2014 German Cast - Live Cast Album, Stuttgart, 1 disc with Nigel Casey, Lana Gordon, Carien Keizer

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Original London production

1996 Broadway revival

1997 London revival

References

External links

*
''Chicago'', The Musical, Official Website''Chicago'', El Musical, Spanish Production Official WebsitePlot summary, character descriptions & licensing info for ChicagoNew Velma on B'wayGerónimo Rauch-Mary Sunshine in Chicago (Spain)Ovrtur.com Listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago (Musical) 1975 musicals Broadway musicals Chicago in fiction Plays set in Illinois Drama Desk Award-winning musicals Laurence Olivier Award-winning musicals Musicals based on plays West End musicals Plays set in the United States Musicals choreographed by Bob Fosse Musicals set in the Roaring Twenties Musicals by Kander and Ebb Sororicide in fiction Mariticide in fiction Tony Award-winning musicals