Chicago The Musical Tickets Information

Chicago The Musical
Chicago is a musical, based on the play Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins. Its book was by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Set in ban era Chicago, it is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice, and the concept of the "celebrity criminal". Its sarcastically upturned moral values are very reminiscent of The Beggar's Opera.

The original production opened on Jun 3, 1975 - and ran for a total of 936 performances, closing on Aug 27, 1977. It was revitalized with even greater success on Nov 14, 1996 - reaching a total of 4234 performances as of Jan 14 2007.

Plot synopsis
Plot and ending details follow.
Act 1:
As the Overture ends, the audience is introduced to Velma Kelly, a vaudevillian who shot the other half of her sister act when she caught her husband with her sister. Velma invites the audience to sample "All That Jazz" while showing us the story of chorus girl Roxie Hart's cold-blooded murder of her lover, nightclub regular Fred Casely. Roxie convinces her husband Amos that the victim was a burglar, and he cheerfully takes the rap.

Act 2
Back after the Entr'acte, Velma cannot believe Roxie's continual run of luck ("I know a Girl") despite Roxie's obvious falsehoods ("Me and my Baby"). A little shy on the arithmetic, Amos proudly claims fatherhood, and still nobody notices him ("Mr. Cellophane"). Velma tries to show Billy all the tricks she's got planned for her trial. Billy's forte may be showmanship ("Razzle Dazzle") , but when he passes all Velma's ideas on to Roxie, down to the rhinestone shoe buckles, Mama and Velma lament the demise of "Class". As promised, Billy gets Roxie her acquittal but, just as the verdict is given, some even more sensational crime pulls the pack of press bloodhounds away, and Roxie's fleeting celebrity is over. Left in the dust, she pulls herself up and admires the joys of life "Nowadays". She teams up with Velma in that sister act ("Nowadays"), in which they dance and perform the "Hot Honey Rag" until they are joined by the entire company for the grand Finale".

History
Origins
Reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins bases the musical Chicago on a play of the same name. Watkins had been assigned to cover the 1924 trials of murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner for the Chicago Tribune.

Annan, the model for the character of Roxie Hart was 23 when she was accused of the murder of Harry Kalstedt. The tribune reported that Annan played the foxtrot 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". She was found "not guilty" on May 25, 1924.

Velma was based on Gaertner, who was a cabaret singer. 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. Gaertner was acquitted on June 6, 1924.

Chicago: The Musical
Barry and Fran Weissler brought the concert version directly to Broadway, where it opened on November 14, 1996 and is still running as of March 2007. The show set a record for recovering its initial costs faster than any other musical in history.

Unlike its predecessor Chicago:
A Musical Vaudeville, Chicago: The Musical was met with praise from audiences and critics alike. 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. "Chicago: The Musical" won 7 Tony?s, more than any other revival in Broadway history, winning for Best Musical Revival, Best Actress for Bebe Neuwirth, Best Actor for James Naughton, Best Choreography for Ann Reinking, Best Costume Design for William Ivey Long, Best Lighting Design for Ken Billington and Best Director for Walter Bobbie. The cast recording also won a Grammy.

Chicago: the Musical holds the record for longest renewal currently playing on Broadway. It is now the eighth longest running musical ever.

International productions
There are currently productions of Chicago in China, Spain, France, Germany, and Japan. There is also a production planned for Italy. There have also been productions in Russia (the most notorious flops in the history of Russian theatre), Sweden, Austria, Brazil, Argentina, The Netherlands, Mexico and Australia. The Mexican production facilitated the first transfer of a performer from Mexico to Broadway with Bianca Marroquin as Roxie Hart. Caroline O'Connor starred as Velma in the Australian production, moving on to play the role on Broadway.

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