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Are you ready for all that jazz? Chicago has been going strong on Broadway for more than 25 years. Get Chicago tickets on New York Theatre Guide now.
The Chicago musical had its Broadway premiere in 1975, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse and starring Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera. That production ran for two years. New York City Center's Encores! program for seldom revived musicals mounted a brief concert production in 1996, which transferred to Broadway and is the very same production still running today.
The revival, directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking in Fosse's style, is now the longest-running American Broadway show and longest-running revival in Broadway history. Chicago officially opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 14, 1996, and it has since moved to the Shubert Theatre and finally the Ambassador Theatre in January 2003.
Chicago on Broadway was nominated for eight Tony Awards in 1997. The show ultimately won six trophies, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Direction of a Musical. The production's highly stylized costumes as well as its Fosse-inspired choreography have made the musical one of the most widely recognised Broadway shows worldwide.
A Chicago film adaptation was released in 2002, starring Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, Richard Gere as Billy Flynn, Queen Latifah as Matron "Mama" Morton, and John C. Reilly as Amos Hart. The film went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture at the 75th Academy Awards, becoming the first movie musical to do so since Oliver! in 1968.
Chicago is based on a same-named 1926 play by journalist Maureen Dallas Watkins, who covered real-life trials like Roxie's and Velma's. The Chicago musical is about murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery — and old-fashioned showbiz and razzle dazzle.
Housewife and aspiring vaudevillian Roxie Hart lands in jail for murdering her lover, and she quickly learns that making headlines is the only way to get acquitted. She and veteran vaudeville star Velma Kelly, a fellow murderess, vie for the attention of the press and a smooth-talking lawyer, Billy Flynn, in this satire of celebrity culture and the justice system.
Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse wrote the book for the Chicago musical, with Ebb also writing lyrics and John Kander composing the music.
Along with Cabaret, Chicago is often considered as one of the best pieces of musical theatre from the legendary songwriting duo Kander and Ebb. They won the the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for Chicago, with a jazz-infused score including hits like "Cell Block Tango," "When You're Good to Mama," "Mr. Cellophane," and "Razzle Dazzle."
Chicago is recommended for ages 13 and up, as the show contains strong language and references to sex and crime.
There's nothing quite like experiencing this sizzling show and musical score live! Get Chicago tickets in New York now.
(Photos by Jeremy Daniel)Get tickets to Chicago on Broadway, or sign up to receive our latest news and show alerts.
2hr 30min (Inc. intermission).
October 23rd, 1996
Musicals, Broadway
September 14th, 2021
April 2nd, 2023
October 23rd, 1996
Ambassador Theatre
May be inappropriate for 12 and under. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
By: John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse
Director: Walter Bobbie
Producer: Barry & Fran Weissler, Jujamcyn Theatres in association with Kordan Productions
Cast list: Charlotte d'Amboise (as Roxie Hart), Lana Gordon (as Velma Kelly), Jinkx Monsoon (as Matron "Mama" Morton), James T. Lane (as Billy Flynn), Evan Harrington (as Amos Hart), R. Lowe (as Mary Sunshine)
Design: John Lee Beatty
Lighting: Ken Billington
Costume: William Ivey Long
Choreography: Ann Reinking
Sound: Scott Lehrer
20 years old and she’s still got it, folks! With the 20th Anniversary of Chicago speedily approaching, I took a trip to Broadway’s Ambassador Theatre to witness that timeless story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery… and rest assured, I still hold it near and dear to my heart! Chicago is the second longest-running show in Broadway history, behind Andrew Lloyd Webber’s infamous Phantom, and still holds the record of being the longest-running musical...
Razzle dazzle 'em! Chicago has set new Broadway cast members, who will step into the production at the Ambassador Theatre on April 10. They will join the previously announced Olivia Holt (Cruel Summer, Kickin' It) as Roxie Hart. Kimberly Marable will assume the role of Velma Kelly, and Liam Fennecken will play Amos Hart. Additionally, Charity Angél Dawson returns as Matron Mama Morton. The current cast of Chicago includes Charlotte d’Amboise as Roxie Hart, Bianca Marroquín as Velma Kelly, James...
The name on everybody's lips is gonna be... Olivia! Olivia Holt will make her Broadway debut in Chicago this spring, playing a limited engagement at the Ambassador Theatre from April 10 to June 4. Holt will star as Roxie Hart, a housewife-turned-murderess who battles fellow inmate Velma Kelly, a veteran vaudevillian, for the attention of the press in the hopes of getting acquitted — and getting famous. The current production of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse's 1975 musical has played the...
When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you! Jinkx Monsoon, who currently stars as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago on Broadway, has extended her run on the show. She will now play her final performance on March 26, two weeks after her originally scheduled departure on March 12. Monsoon will not perform March 13 or 14. "“The kids are saying ‘she ate,’ so I figured, I might as well have seconds," Monsoon said. "In all seriousness, playing for standing room only crowds throughout my run as Mama...
Chicago the musical doesn’t razzle-dazzle audiences with falling chandeliers, flying helicopters, or spinning turntables. The show does so with its score. In the current Broadway production, which has run since 1996, the orchestra literally takes center stage. That’s because the show’s hot, jazzy music is the real star. The secret to this musical’s record-breaking success — with over 10,000 performances, Chicago is the longest running American show on Broadway (and second longest running...
The category is: Broadway. From January 16, two-time RuPaul's Drag Race champion Jinkx Monsoon is trading Rusicals for musicals to make her Broadway debut in Chicago through March 12. But the theatre scene isn't new to Monsoon. She holds a BFA in theatre from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and she's performed in multiple major musicals in that same city. Hairspray, Rent, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Spring Awakening are just a few of her high-profile musical credits (aside from her...
UPDATE: Chicago has set additional casting, with James T. Lane also joining the cast on January 16 as Billy Flynn. When you're good to Monsoon, Monsoon's good to you! Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon will make her Broadway debut in Chicago this winter. She will take on the role of Matron "Mama" Morton for eight weeks, from January 16 through March 12. "“To be making my Broadway debut, as my favorite role, in one of my favorite shows— that lifelong dream is coming true and then...
Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, tickets! Chicago tickets are now on sale through October 1, 2023. Get Chicago Broadway tickets now. Chicago follows housewife-turned-murderess Roxie Hart, whose crimes make her a local celebrity thanks to her smooth-talking lawyer, Billy Flynn. She competes with vaudeville star Velma Kelly, also in prison, for the attention and sympathy of Billy and the press, in the hopes of getting acquitted. This Chicago production is a revival, following the original Broadway...
They're bringing all that jazz! Chicago has set new casting from November 7, which includes Broadway veterans Charlotte d'Amboise and Ryan Silverman, and Isaac Mizrahi in his Broadway debut. Mizrahi, best known for his talk show The Isaac Mizrahi Show and his seven-season stint as a Project Runway: All-Stars judge, will step into the role of Amos Hart for three weeks. d'Amboise returns the role of Roxie Hart, who she has played on Broadway multiple times since 1999; and Ryan Silverman will play...
I saw the film version of Chicago for the first time this year. While I’d tried to watch it with my family as a kid, my parents, both lawyers, turned it off, explaining that the movie did a horrible job at depicting how the law actually worked. I always assumed my parents were right: I’ve spent countless days watching them in the courtroom, and it was nothing like Billy Flynn distracting the jury in “Razzle Dazzle.” However (and this will probably be the only time this happens), my lawyer...
Enter a world of jazz, crime, and razzle dazzle at Chicago on Broadway. Set in the 1920s and based on real events, this satirical show follows wannabe jazz age stars who get their fame not just for their singing or dancing talent, but for committing murders that make sensationalized headlines all across the city of Chicago.But even though their lawyer claims all you need is razzle dazzle — that "long as you keep them way off balance, how can they spot you've got no talents?" — Chicago's success...
After 25 years, Chicago is still razzle-dazzling Broadway! On November 16, the show will host a special 25th anniversary performance at the Ambassador Theatre to commemorate the milestone. The performance will feature special guest appearances from some of the original Chicago cast members and "other surprises," which have yet to be announced.Chicago first premiered on Broadway in 1975 starring the late Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart, Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly, and the late Jerry Orbach as Billy...