Chicago ( musical ) - wikipedia Chicago ( musical ) Chicago Original Broadway poster art Music John Kander Lyrics Fred Ebb Book Fred Ebb Bob Fosse Basis Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins Productions 1975 Broadway 1977 Buenos Aires 1977 Hamburg 1979 Vienna 1979 West End 1981 Sydney 1987 Munich 1996 Broadway 1997 Barcelona 1997 North America Tour 1997 West End 1998 Melbourne 1998 Vienna 1999 Madrid 1999 Gothenburg 1999 Las Vegas 1999 Utrecht 2001 Buenos Aires 2001 UK Tour 2001 Mexico City 2002 Warsaw 2002 Moscow 2002 Film 2003 Montreal 2004 Milan 2004 Bucharest 2004 Paris 2004 São Paulo 2005 Johannesburg 2006 Belgrade 2007 Copenhagen 2007 Seoul 2008 Tokyo 2009 Australia Tour 2009 Netherlands Tour 2009 Madrid 2010 Buenos Aires 2010 Royal Caribbean 2012 Bogotá 2012 Lima 2013 Santiago 2013 Moscow 2013 Caracas 2014 Japan Tour 2014 Stuttgart 2016 UK Tour 2017 Copenhagen 2017 San José 2018 West End 2018 International Tour 2018 Paris Chicago is an American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Set in Jazz Age Chicago, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and crimes she reported on. 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 choreographed the original production, and his style is strongly identified with the show. Following a West End debut in 1979 which ran for 600 performances, Chicago was revived on Broadway in 1996, and a year later in the West End. The Broadway revival 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 in Broadway history, behind only The Phantom of the Opera, having played its 7,486 th performance on November 23, 2014, surpassing Cats. 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 version of the musical won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Contents 1 History 2 Synopsis 2.1 Act I 2.2 Act II 3 Musical numbers 4 Principal characters 5 Musical and staging style 6 Productions 6.1 Original Broadway production 6.2 1979 West End 6.3 1981 Australia 6.4 1996 Broadway revival 6.5 1997 London revival 6.6 North American tours 6.7 2019 Australia 6.8 International productions 7 Recordings 8 Awards and nominations 8.1 Original Broadway production 8.2 Original London production 8.3 1996 Broadway revival 8.4 1997 London revival 9 References 10 External links 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 for the Chicago Tribune. 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 women murderesses ( jurors at the time were all men, 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 took a pro-prosecution `` hang - them - high '' stance, 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 women 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. 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 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. Gaertner was acquitted on June 6, 1924. Lawyers William Scott Stewart and W.W. O'Brien were models for a composite character in Chicago, `` Billy Flynn ''. Watkins ' sensational columns documenting these trials proved so popular that she decided to write a play based on them. The show received both popular and critical acclaim and even made it to Broadway in 1926, running for 172 performances. Cecil B. DeMille produced a silent film version, Chicago ( 1927 ), starring former Mack Sennett bathing beauty Phyllis Haver 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. In the 1960s, Gwen Verdon 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. In her later years, Watkins had become a born - again Christian and believed her play glamorized a scandalous way of living. However, 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 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. Synopsis Act I In the mid-1920s in Chicago, Velma Kelly is a vaudevillian who murdered both her husband and her sister when she found them in bed together. She welcomes the audience to tonight 's show ( `` All That Jazz '' ). Velma eventually is arrested for her crime. Meanwhile, the audience hears of chorus girl Roxie Hart 's murder of her lover, nightclub regular Fred Casely. Roxie convinces her husband Amos that the victim was a burglar, and Amos cheerfully takes the blame. Roxie expresses her appreciation of her husband 's thick skull ( `` Funny Honey '' ). However, when the police mention the deceased 's name, Amos belatedly realizes that Roxie has lied to him. The truth comes out, and Roxie is arrested. She is sent to the women 's block in Cook County Jail, inhabited by Velma and other murderesses ( `` Cell Block Tango '' ). The block is presided over by the corrupt Matron `` Mama '' Morton, whose system of mutual aid ( `` When You 're Good to Mama '' ) perfectly suits her clientele. She has helped Velma become the media 's top murder - 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 tries to convince Amos to pay for Billy Flynn to be her lawyer ( `` A Tap Dance '' ). Eagerly awaited by his all - girl clientele, Billy sings his anthem, complete with a chorus of fan dancers ( `` All I Care About is Love '' ). Billy takes Roxie 's case and re-arranges her story for consumption by sympathetic tabloid columnist Mary Sunshine ( `` A Little Bit of Good '' ). 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 press while Roxie mouths the words. Roxie becomes the most popular celebrity in Chicago, as she proclaims quite boastfully while planning for her future career in vaudeville ( `` Roxie '' ). As Roxie 's fame grows, Velma 's notoriety subsides, and in an `` act of pure desperation '', she tries to talk Roxie into recreating the sister act ( `` I Ca n't Do It Alone '' ), but Roxie turns her down, only to find her own headlines replaced by the latest sordid crime of passion ( `` Chicago After Midnight '' ). 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 again welcomes the audience with the line `` Hello, Suckers, '' another reference to Texas Guinan, who commonly greeted her patrons with the same phrase. She informs the audience of Roxie 's continual run of luck ( `` I Know a Girl '' ) despite Roxie 's obvious falsehoods ( `` Me and My Baby '' ). Without considering how he could be a father in such a short amount of time, Amos proudly claims paternity, but still, nobody notices him ( `` Mr. Cellophane '' ). Velma tries to show Billy all the tricks she has planned for her trial ( `` When Velma Takes The Stand '' ). Roxie has a heated argument with Billy and fires him. She is brought back down to earth when she learns that a fellow inmate has been executed. The trial date arrives, and Billy calms her, telling her if she makes a show of it, she will be fine ( `` Razzle Dazzle '' ), but when he passes all Velma 's ideas on to Roxie, she uses each one, 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 stays with her, glad for his wife, but she then confesses that there really is no baby, making Amos finally leave her. Left in the dust, Roxie pulls herself up and extols the joys of life ( `` Nowadays '' ). She teams up with Velma in a new act in which they dance and perform ( `` Hot Honey Rag '' ) until they are joined by the entire company ( `` 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 `` Cell Block Tango '' -- 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 Ca n'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 `` Cell Block Tango '' -- 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 Ca n't Do It Alone '' -- Velma `` I Ca n'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. '' Principal characters Source for West End : overthefootlights.co.uk Principal characters and performers of notable stage productions : Character Description Original Broadway performer Original West End performer Original Broadway revival performer Original West End revival performer Roxie Hart An aspiring vaudevillian and murderess who kills her lover after a spat and is sent to jail. Gwen Verdon Antonia Ellis Ann Reinking Ruthie Henshall Velma Kelly A vaudevillian and murderess who is on trial for killing her cheating husband and sister. She is represented by Billy Flynn and competes with Roxie Hart for him. Chita Rivera Jenny Logan Bebe Neuwirth Ute Lemper Billy Flynn Velma and Roxie 's lawyer who has a perfect track record and makes celebrities of his clients to win sympathy and sway public opinion. Jerry Orbach Ben Cross James Naughton Henry Goodman Amos Hart Roxie 's faithful and good - natured but simple husband whom nobody pays attention to. He spends most of the show trying to make Roxie take interest in him or even just acknowledge his existence. Barney Martin Don Fellows Joel Grey Nigel Planer Matron `` Mama '' Morton The matron of the Cook County Jail who believes that all favors she gives should be reciprocated. Mary McCarty Hope Jackman Marcia Lewis Meg Johnson Mary Sunshine The newspaper reporter who follows the trials of both Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. In most productions, Sunshine is revealed to be a male at the end of the show. M. O'Haughey G. Lyons D. Sabella - Mills C. Shirvell Musical and staging style According to Fred Ebb, he wrote the book in a vaudeville 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. '' 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 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 Fred Ebb to John Kander. Kander explains : `` I remember when we wrote `` Razzle Dazzle '', before we took it in and played it for Bob, you ( Ebb ) said 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 Jerry Orbach `` convinced him that he was missing the Brechtian subtlety intrinsic in the number. '' The original finale was `` Loopin ' the Loop '', a doubles act with Gwen Verdon and Chita 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, 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 to the number `` Class '' were too offensive and censored Kander and Ebb 's original version of the song. One of the original lyrics `` Every guy is a snot / Every girl is a twat '' was restored for the 2002 movie, although the entire number was cut from the final release of the movie. Productions Original Broadway production M. O'Haughey as Mary Sunshine and Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn in the original Broadway cast, 1976 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 Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly, Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart, Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn and Barney Martin 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 Chita Rivera 's role opposite Gwen Verdon 's Roxie Hart. The musical received mixed reviews. The Brechtian style of the show, which frequently dropped the fourth wall, 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 Awards. 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 Liza Minnelli 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, and Gwen Verdon recuperated and returned to the show. Ann Reinking, 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 in April 1979 and ran for around 600 performances. It starred Jenny Logan as Velma Kelly, Ben Cross as Billy, and Antonia Ellis as Roxie 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 for their performances, and the musical was nominated as Musical of the Year. 1981 Australia The original Australian production opened at the Sydney Opera House 's Drama Theatre in June 1981. Featuring Nancye Hayes ( Roxie ), Geraldine Turner ( Velma ), Terence Donovan ( Billy ) and Judi Connelli ( Mama ), it was a new production directed by Richard Wherrett for the Sydney Theatre Company, 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. 1996 Broadway revival This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2013 ) City Center Encores ! series presented Chicago in concert in May 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 Ann Reinking, who also starred as Roxie Hart. Also in the cast were Bebe Neuwirth as Velma Kelly, Joel Grey as Amos Hart and James Naughton as Billy Flynn. The show was well - received, with Howard Kissel, reviewing for the New York Daily News writing that `` This Chicago impressed me far more than the original. ''. Ben Brantley, in his review for The New York Times, 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. '' Chicago : The Musical at the Ambassador Theatre, New York, May 2010 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. 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, more than any other revival in Broadway history until South Pacific won seven Tonys in 2008. Chicago won for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Bebe Neuwirth, Best Leading Actor in a Musical for James Naughton, Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Ken Billington, Best Director of a Musical for Walter Bobbie and Best Choreography for Ann Reinking. Chicago : The Musical has run for more than 8,000 performances and holds the record for longest - running musical revival on Broadway. Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton and Joel Grey returned for cameos appearances during the record breaking performance. The cast recording of the revival was released on January 28, 1997 on RCA Victor. The cast recording won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Among the many other performers and celebrities who have appeared in the show during its long run are Michelle Williams, Usher, Brandy, Christopher Sieber, Charlotte d'Amboise, Michael C. Hall, Roz Ryan, Jerry Springer, Brooke Shields, NeNe Leakes, Debra Monk, Patrick Swayze, Kevin Richardson, Gretchen Mol, Rita Wilson, Alan Thicke, Melanie Griffith, Taye Diggs, Carol Woods, Chandra Wilson, John O'Hurley, Christine Pedi, Ashlee Simpson, Adam Pascal, Amy Spanger, Leigh Zimmerman, Wendy Williams Samantha Harris, Jennifer Nettles, Marilu Henner, Jeff McCarthy, Philip Casnoff, Pasquale Aleardi, Ruthie Henshall, Christie Brinkley, Tony Yazbeck, Kara DioGuardi, Sofía Vergara, Mel B, Ryoko Yonekura, and Todrick Hall. 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 ever, passing Cats. 1997 London revival 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. The show ran at the Adelphi Theatre for nine years until transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006. The original cast of the production included German jazz singer Ute Lemper as Velma, British actress Ruthie Henshall as Roxie Hart, Nigel Planer as Amos Hart, and Henry Goodman 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 in the starring roles. For example, Marti Pellow, David Hasselhoff, John Barrowman, Tony Hadley, Jerry Springer, Kevin Richardson and Ian Kelsey have all played the role of Billy Flynn. Maria Friedman, Josefina Gabrielle, Denise Van Outen, Claire Sweeney, Linzi Hateley, Frances Ruffelle, Jennifer Ellison, Jill Halfpenny, Brooke Shields, Sally Ann Triplett, Bonnie Langford, Tina Arena, Ashlee Simpson, Aoife Mulholland, Michelle Williams and Christie Brinkley have all played Roxie Hart. Williams was the first African American woman to play the part of Roxie on the West End stage. James Doherty was a replacement as Amos. 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, Josefina Gabrielle 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 as Roxie Hart and Mazz Murray as Mama Morton. North American tours There have been ten North American national tours of Chicago. The first tour started in April 1997 in Cincinnati, Ohio, six months after the revival opened on Broadway. The cast featured Charlotte d'Amboise ( Roxie Hart ), Jasmine Guy ( Velma Kelly ), Obba Babatunde ( Billy Flynn ) and Carol Woods ( Matron `` Mama '' Morton ). A second company started in December 1997 in Tampa, Florida. The tour went on hiatus in Fall 1999 and started again in October 1999 in Denver, Colorado, featuring Robert Urich as Billy Flynn, Vicki Lewis ( Velma ) and Nana Visitor ( Roxie ). The next tour started in October 2000 in Stamford, Connecticut, with Robert Urich. Chita Rivera joined the tour for several weeks. The 2003 tour started in June 2003 at the National Theatre, Washington, DC, with Brenda Braxton playing Velma, Bianca Marroquin as Roxie, and Gregory Harrison as Billy Flynn. During 2004 the tour cast included Alan Thicke and Tom Wopat as Billy Flynn and Carol Woods as Matron `` Mama '' Morton. The most recent tour started in November 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina 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 Marco Zunino joined the cast as Billy Flynn. 2019 Australia On 14 June 2018, the Gordon Frost Organisation announced a revival tour of Chicago that will kick off in early 2019 at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney. Casting and further dater are yet to be announced. 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 production starred Ryoko Yonekura as Roxie Hart, Yōka Wao as Velma Kelly and Ryuichi Kawamura as Billy Flynn. In Perú, the musical was released on June 16, 2012 starring Tati Alcántara, Denisse Dibós, and Marco Zunino in Teatro Municipal ( Lima ). The show was also staged using a Spanish translation in Costa Rica in 2017 starring Silvia Baltodano and Isabel Guzman. Recordings Artwork for original Broadway cast recording ( 1975 ) There have been several cast recordings of Chicago : 1975 Original Broadway Cast 1981 Original Australian Cast 1996 Broadway Revival 1998 London Cast 1997 Austrian ( German language ) Cast -- Live Cast Album ( with Anna Montanaro ) 1999 Dutch Cast -- Live Cast Album, 2 discs ( with Pia Douwes ) 2014 German Cast - Live Cast Album, Stuttgart, 1 disc with Nigel Casey, Lana Gordon, Carien Keizer Awards and nominations Original Broadway production Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 1976 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated Best Book of a Musical Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb Nominated Best Original Score John Kander and Fred Ebb Nominated Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Jerry Orbach Nominated Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Chita Rivera Nominated Gwen Verdon Nominated Best Direction of a Musical Bob Fosse Nominated Best Choreography Nominated Best Scenic Design Tony Walton Nominated Best Costume Design Patricia Zipprodt Nominated Best Lighting Design Jules Fisher Nominated Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Jerry Orbach Nominated Outstanding Lighting Design Jules Fisher Won Grammy Award Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album Nominated Original London production Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 1979 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Nominated Best Actor in a Musical Ben Cross Nominated Best Actress in a Musical Antonia Ellis Nominated 1996 Broadway revival Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 1997 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Won Outstanding Actor in a Musical James Naughton Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Musical Bebe Neuwirth Won Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Joel Grey Won Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Marcia Lewis Nominated Outstanding Choreography Ann Reinking Won Outstanding Director of a Musical Walter Bobbie Won Outstanding Lighting Design Ken Billington Won Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Won Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical James Naughton Won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Bebe Neuwirth Won Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Marcia Lewis Nominated Best Direction of a Musical Walter Bobbie Won Best Choreography Ann Reinking Won Best Costume Design William Ivey Long Nominated Best Lighting Design Ken Billington Won 1998 Grammy Award Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album Won 1997 London revival Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result 1997 Laurence Olivier Award Outstanding Musical Production Won Best Actor in a Musical Henry Goodman Nominated Best Actress in a Musical Ute Lemper Won Ruthie Henshall Nominated Best Director Walter Bobbie Nominated Best Theatre Choreographer Ann Reinking Nominated Best Costume Design William Ivey Long Nominated 1999 Grammy Award Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album Nominated References Jump up ^ `` Chicago ''. Retrieved January 6, 2009. Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew. `` '' All That Jazz `` : Chicago Becomes Second Longest - Running Broadway Show Tonight '' Playbill.com, November 23, 2014 Jump up ^ Perry, Douglas ( 2010 ). The Girls of Murder City : fame, lust, and the beautiful killers that inspired Chicago. New York : Penguin Group / Viking Press. pp. 1 -- 7, 16 -- 18, 57 -- 58. ISBN 978 - 0 - 670 - 02197 - 0. ^ Jump up to : Grubb, Kevin Boyd ( 1989 ). Razzle Dazzle : The Life and Work of Bob Fosse. New York : St. Martin 's Press. pp. 193 -- 203. ISBN 0 - 312 - 03414 - 8. Jump up ^ McConnell, Virginia A. Fatal Fortune : the Death of Chicago 's Millionaire Orphan, p. 62 Fatal Fortune : the Death of Chicago 's Millionaire Orphan ( books. google ), Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005, ISBN 0 - 275 - 98473 - 7. p. 62 Jump up ^ Plot Summary based on that of Bill Rosenfield, copyright 1997 BMG Music Jump up ^ `` Chicago Broadway @ 46th Street Theatre Playbill ''. Playbill. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 07. Jump up ^ `` CHICAGO 's missing character, or, WHO is Henry Glassman ? ( BroadwayWorld.com Board ) ''. www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 07. Jump up ^ `` 1979 Musicals, p. 33 '' overthefootlights.co.uk, accessed June 8, 2012 ^ Jump up to : Kander, John ; Ebb, Fred ; Lawrence, Greg ( October 2004 ). Colored Lights : Forty Years of Words and Music, Show Biz, Collaboration, and All That Jazz. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 128 -- 129. ISBN 978 - 0 - 571 - 21169 - 2. ^ Jump up to : Leve, James. Kander and Ebb, `` Chapter : Chicago - Broadway To Hollywood '' Kander and Ebb, Yale University Press, 2009, ISBN 0 - 300 - 11487 - 7, p. 86 Jump up ^ Bloom, Ken ; Vlastnik, Frank ; and Orbach, Jerry. Broadway Musicals : The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time Broadway Musicals : The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time, Black Dog Publishing, 2008, ISBN 1 - 57912 - 313 - 9, p. 66 Jump up ^ Mordden, Ethan. One More Kiss : The Broadway Musical in the 1970s One More Kiss : The Broadway Musical in the 1970s, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004, ISBN 1 - 4039 - 6539 - 0, p. 129 Jump up ^ Chicago `` original 1975 run at IBDB ''. Jump up ^ Leve, James. Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb, Yale University Press, 2009, ISBN 0 - 300 - 11487 - 7, p. 6 Jump up ^ `` Chicago -- a musical by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse ''. Retrieved June 25, 2007. Jump up ^ `` New York Intelligencer ''. New York Magazine. 8 ( 32 ) : 58. August 11, 1975. Jump up ^ `` Liza Minnelli Broadway credits ''. Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 2017 - 10 - 09. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ Chicago `` 1996 revival at IBDB ''. Jump up ^ `` Ann Reinking Broadway credits ''. Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 2017 - 10 - 09. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` London Shows Chronology, 1979 '' guidetomusicaltheatre.com. Retrieved January 1, 2011 Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago West End, 1979 listing '' westend.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved January 1, 2011 Jump up ^ `` Oliviers : Olivier Winners 1979 '' officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved January 1, 2011 Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' in the 1920s -- not a cheap American copy ''. The Canberra Times. 55, ( 16,697 ). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 June 1981. p. 8. Retrieved 21 May 2017 -- via National Library of Australia. Jump up ^ `` AusStage - Chicago ''. www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 21. ^ Jump up to : Haun, Harry and Viagas, Robert. `` Hit ' Encores ! ' ' Chicago ' Definite for B'way '' playbill.com, June 18, 1996 Jump up ^ `` Encores ! About '' nycitycenter.org, accessed April 19, 2015 Jump up ^ Kissel, Howard ( May 4, 1996 ). `` PUTTING THE CHIC IN ' CHICAGO ' : REVIVAL BETTER THAN ORIGINAL ''. NY Daily News. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 07. Jump up ^ Brantley, Ben. `` Theater Review : Musical 's Brief Revival Mixes Joy and Contempt '' New York Times, May 4, 1996 Jump up ^ Marks, Peter. `` On Stage, and Off '' The New York Times, May 10, 1996 ^ Jump up to : Sommer, Elyse. `` Review. ' Chicago ' '' curtainup.com, accessed April 19, 2015 Jump up ^ Viagas, Robert and moved to the ( ( Shubert Theatre ( New York City ) Shubert Theatre ) ) in February of 1997. Chicago Broadway Revival Opens '' playbill.com, November 14, 1996 Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' Cast and Creative '' chicagothemusical.com, accessed April 19, 2015 Jump up ^ `` Online NewsHour : Chicago, the Musical -- May 30, 1997 ''. Retrieved June 25, 2007. Jump up ^ Ku, Andrew. `` Just the Facts : List of 2008 Tony Award Winners and Nominees '' playbill.com, June 16, 2008 ^ Jump up to : `` ' Chicago ' 1996 REvival '' Archived 2015 - 12 - 24 at the Wayback Machine. playbillvault.com, accessed April 19, 2015 Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' Listing '' IBDB.com Jump up ^ RPM. `` Chicago The Musical - Official Site ''. www.chicagothemusical.com. Jump up ^ Playbill.com Archived April 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Ku, Andrew and Prince, Andrea. `` Notes From the ' Chicago ' Cast Album Party '' playbill.com, January 26, 1997 Jump up ^ `` Grammy Award, Best Musical Show Album '' grammy.com, accessed April 19, 2015 Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' Welcomes Back Tom Hewitt '' broadwayworld.com Jump up ^ Georgina Littlejohn ( April 9, 2011 ). `` The name on everybody 's lips is gon na be... Christie ! Miss Brinkley wows New York as she makes her Broadway debut in Chicago ''. Daily Mail. Retrieved April 12, 2011. Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' Current Cast '' playbillvault.com, accessed April 19, 2015 Jump up ^ `` Timeline '' Archived May 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. chicagothemusical.com Jump up ^ `` Chicago '' listing thisistheatre.com, accessed May 27, 2009 ^ Jump up to : Bosanquet, Theo. `` Ugly Betty 's America Ferrera Leads Chicago at Garrick, WhatsOnStage, October 10, 2011 Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago the Musical ' at Cambridge Theatre listing '' thisistheatre.com, retrieved January 2, 2011 Jump up ^ West End theatre program, published November 2003 Jump up ^ Shenton, Mark. `` Razzle Dazzle Dimmed : West End 's ' Love Never Dies ' and ' Chicago ' Close Aug. 27 '' Archived 2011 - 09 - 15 at the Wayback Machine... Playbill.com, August 27, 2011 Jump up ^ Shenton, Mark. `` London Production of ' Chicago ' to Close After Record - Breaking 15 - Year Run '' Archived July 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine., Playbill.com, July 13, 2012 Jump up ^ Chicago the Musical UK, Official UK website, accessed October 15, 2012 Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew ( December 15, 2017 ). `` Chicago Will Return to London 's West End ''. Playbill. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Sarah Soetaert, Josefina Gabrielle & Ruthie Henshall to join Cuba Gooding Jr in CHICAGO ''. Best of Theatre. February 16, 2018. Retrieved 2018 - 02 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Alexandra Burke joins the cast of Chicago in the West End ''. Retrieved 2018 - 08 - 10. ^ Jump up to : Gans, Andrew. `` Wopat, Marroquin, MacLeod and Ryan to Head Cast of ' Chicago ' Tour '' Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, September 16, 2008 Jump up ^ Kuchwara, Michael. `` ' Chicago ' sizzles across the country -- and beyond '', Associated Press, July 18, 1997, Section : Entertainment News ( no page number ) Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth. `` Lewis, Urich and Visitor are New Trio in ' Chicago ' Tour, in Detroit, Nov. 16 -- 28 '' Archived 2012 - 10 - 19 at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, November 16, 1999 Jump up ^ Dillard, Sandra C. `` ALL JAZZED UP Robert Urich is keen on dancing in ' Chicago ' '', The Denver PostOctober 17, 1999, p. H1 Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth. New Tour of Chicago Begins Oct. 6 -- 7 in CT ; Chita Will Join Troupe '' Archived 2012 - 10 - 19 at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, October 5, 2000 Jump up ^ Marks, Peter. `` Chicago ' : This Musical Has Legs '', The Washington Post, June 13, 2003, STYLE ; p. C1 Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew. `` Brenda Braxton Returns to ' Chicago ' Next Month '' Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, December 24, 2003 Jump up ^ Butler, Grant. `` ' CHICAGO ' '', The Oregonian, March 12, 2004, p. 45 ( Arts and Living Section ) Jump up ^ Russell, Robert. `` Review : Chicago s Razzle Dazzle frazzle at Starlight '', The Kansas City Star, August 14, 2009 Jump up ^ Zielinski, Peter James. `` Photo Coverage : Marco Zunino Joins CHICAGO ! ''. Jump up ^ Amra - Faye Wright Returns to Broadway 's Chicago Feb. 2 ; Marco Zunino, Bianca Marroquin Extend Runs Archived February 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Chicago, Saturday Night Fever and Waitress all announced for Sydney - News ''. 14 June 2018. Jump up ^ Ryoko Yonekura kicks off musical ' Chicago ' Archived 2008 - 12 - 02 at the Wayback Machine. Japan Today Jump up ^ `` Ellos protagonizarán el musical `` Chicago '' en Lima ``. 21 January 2012. Jump up ^ `` Conozca a las estrellas de ' Chicago ', el musical que se estrenará en Costa Rica ''. La Nación, Grupo Nación ( in Spanish ). Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 22. Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' 1975 Original Broadway Cast '' amazon.com, accessed October 2, 2011 Jump up ^ `` Australian cast recordings Straight To The Point ''. AussieTheatre.com. 2010 - 09 - 08. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 21. Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' 1996 Broadway Revival Cast '' amazon.com, accessed October 2, 2011 Jump up ^ `` ' Chicago ' 1998 London Cast '' amazon.com, accessed October 2, 2011 External links Chicago portal Chicago at the Internet Broadway Database Chicago, The Musical, Official Website Chicago, El Musical, Spanish Production Official Website Plot summary, character descriptions & licensing info for Chicago New Velma on B'way Gerónimo Rauch - Mary Sunshine in Chicago ( Spain ) Ovrtur.com Listing Chicago Song Lyrics Chicago ( 1926 play ) Characters Roxie Hart Velma Kelly Kander and Ebb Chicago ( 1975 musical ) Chicago ( 2002 film ) Film soundtrack Songs `` All That Jazz '' `` Cell Block Tango '' `` Love Is a Crime '' Other adaptations Chicago ( 1927 ) Roxie Hart ( 1942 ) Related people Maurine Dallas Watkins Beulah Annan Belva Gaertner Musicals by Kander and Ebb Flora the Red Menace Cabaret The Happy Time Zorba 70, Girls, 70 Chicago The Act Woman of the Year The Rink And the World Goes ' Round Kiss of the Spider Woman Steel Pier All About Us The Visit Curtains The Scottsboro Boys Works directed by Bob Fosse Films Sweet Charity ( 1969 ) Cabaret ( 1972 ) Lenny ( 1974 ) All That Jazz ( 1979 ) Star 80 ( 1983 ) Television Liza with a Z ( 1972 ) Theatre Pleasures and Palaces ( 1965 ) Sweet Charity ( 1966 ) Pippin ( 1972 ) Chicago ( 1975 ) Dancin ' ( 1978 ) Big Deal ( 1986 ) Awards for Chicago Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical She Loves Me ( 1994 ) The King and I ( 1996 ) Chicago ( 1997 ) Cabaret ( 1998 ) You 're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ( 1999 ) Kiss Me, Kate ( 2000 ) 42nd Street ( 2001 ) Into the Woods ( 2002 ) Nine ( 2003 ) Assassins ( 2004 ) La Cage aux Folles ( 2005 ) Sweeney Todd ( 2006 ) Company ( 2007 ) South Pacific ( 2008 ) Hair ( 2009 ) La Cage aux Folles ( 2010 ) Anything Goes ( 2011 ) Follies ( 2012 ) Pippin ( 2013 ) Hedwig and the Angry Inch ( 2014 ) The King and I ( 2015 ) She Loves Me ( 2016 ) Hello, Dolly ! ( 2017 ) My Fair Lady ( 2018 ) Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival Show Boat ( 1991 ) The Boys from Syracuse ( 1992 ) Carousel ( 1993 ) Sweeney Todd ( 1994 ) She Loves Me ( 1995 ) The Who 's Tommy ( 1997 ) Chicago ( 1998 ) Oklahoma ! ( 1999 ) Candide ( 2000 ) Singin ' in the Rain ( 2001 ) My Fair Lady ( 2002 ) Anything Goes ( 2003 ) Pacific Overtures ( 2004 ) Grand Hotel ( 2005 ) Guys and Dolls ( 2006 ) Sunday in the Park with George ( 2007 ) The Magic Flute ( 2008 ) La Cage aux Folles ( 2009 ) Hello, Dolly ! ( 2010 ) Into the Woods ( 2011 ) Crazy for You ( 2012 ) Sweeney Todd ( 2013 ) Merrily We Roll Along ( 2014 ) City of Angels ( 2015 ) Gypsy ( 2016 ) Jesus Christ Superstar ( 2017 ) Follies ( 2018 ) Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical Carousel ( 1994 ) Show Boat ( 1995 ) The King and I ( 1996 ) Chicago ( 1997 ) Cabaret ( 1998 ) Annie Get Your Gun ( 1999 ) Kiss Me, Kate ( 2000 ) 42nd Street ( 2001 ) Into the Woods ( 2002 ) Nine ( 2003 ) Assassins ( 2004 ) La Cage aux Folles ( 2005 ) The Pajama Game ( 2006 ) Company ( 2007 ) South Pacific ( 2008 ) Hair ( 2009 ) La Cage aux Folles ( 2010 ) Anything Goes ( 2011 ) Porgy and Bess ( 2012 ) Pippin ( 2013 ) Hedwig and the Angry Inch ( 2014 ) The King and I ( 2015 ) The Color Purple ( 2016 ) Hello, Dolly ! ( 2017 ) Once on This Island ( 2018 ) GND : 4683853 - 3 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago_(musical)&oldid=854336999 '' Categories : 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 Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) Articles needing additional references from March 2013 All articles needing additional references Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe 中文 16 more Edit links This page was last edited on 10 August 2018, at 15 : 56 ( UTC ). 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Question: who wrote the music for the musical chicago
Answer: John Kander