All That jazz & More
An intoxicating mix of murder, sex, and razzle-dazzle, Chicago is Broadway at its most iconic. An ever-relevant satire of celebrity culture, it's the tale of two beautiful criminals in the Roaring Twenties who plan to get away with murder by putting on one hell of a show. Known for its sensual Bob Fosse choreography, lacy costumes and finger-clicking score, it is not only Broadway's longest-running American musical; but one of its very best.
Debuting on Broadway in 1975, Chicago was initially overshadowed by the year's other big musical, A Chorus Line, but is now firmly established as one of the Great White Way's most instantly recognizable shows, cemented by 2002's Oscar-winning movie adaptation in 2002, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Richard Gere.
What is the story?
Its Prohibition Era in Chicago and vaudeville performer Velma Kelly is stuck behind bars in the Cook County Jail, awaiting trial for murdering her cheating husband and sister. Fortunately, she has Billy Flynn on her defense team, a famed lawyer with a perfect track record, and a master at manipulating public opinion in favor of his clients. Everything is looking rosy until Roxie Hart turns up. Accused of killing her lover, Roxie is a fame-hungry wannabe, who immediately sets about stealing both Velma's limelight and her lawyer.
Each battling for their 15 minutes of fame, the women go head to head in the race to become Chicago's most notorious criminal and escape the rope.
Did you know?
Chicago is inspired by the true story of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, two women who were tried for murder, and acquitted, in Chicago in 1924. Maurice Dallas Watkins, a journalist for the Chicago Tribune, covered their sensational trials and later turned their stories into the play upon which the musical is based.