Name: Chicago on Broadway
Start: 1996-10-23
Location: Ambassador Theatre

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Chicago on Broadway [22] 

Genre: Musical (US and AUS)

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Chicago on Broadway

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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 revival and longest-running American musical on the Great White Way. So how has this iconic musical managed to outlast its competitors in the increasingly crowded and competitive market place that is Broadway?

One word can sum it all up, really… “Class”… which just so happens to be the title of one of the more reflective numbers in the show. As Velma and Mama Morton were serenading us, asking whatever happened to class, I couldn’t help but think that this production has it in abundance. Chicago proves that you don’t need to bombard your audience with a number of lavish sets or elaborate costume changes to put together a winning musical. All you need is a live band on stage, intoxicating the auditorium with that jazz-infused score from the genius that is John Kander and Fred Ebb and sprinkle it with that Bob Fosse-style choreography, and before you know it, you’ve razzle dazzled ‘em! Those tight-fitting, all-black (and often transparent) costumes by William Ivey Long enhance the show’s sensuality with equal measures of male and female exposure and have themselves become as recognisable as the show’s glittering red logo.

You forget how ground-breaking this revival must have been, when it officially opened on Broadway on 14th November 1996. Moments of breaking the fourth wall to introduce the musical numbers and having the conductor of the band interact with the actors on stage, still set Chicago apart from its predecessors, and who wouldn’t want to call for their “Exit Music” each time they left the room?

Chicago is equally as famous for its revolving casting door, which has seen both Broadway veterans and celebrities from the world of music, TV and film take to the stage and sink their teeth into those coveted principal roles for special limited engagements. Some of the company’s principals have been with the show for quite some time and continue to delight with every performance. NaTasha Yvette Williams’ brassy and sultry Mama Morton, Raymond Bokhour’s ever-loveable Amos and R. Lowe’s skilled, gender-bending performance as Mary Sunshine are always crowd-pleasing and essential parts of the production, offering the degree of stability that takes it smoothly through its many cast changes. Although some would argue that Chicago has been reduced to a star vehicle for celebrities wishing to dip their toes into the world of Broadway, I see it as a living, breathing piece of musical theatre history, which rightfully remains at the Ambassador Theatre and reminds us that all you need is class and, of course, all that Jazz!

*(Photo by Jeremy Daniel)*

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"As much tribute as revival, the spirit of Fosse's genius never leaves the stage, and Chicago, under Walter Bobbie's sharp direction, will dazzle newcomers to the trademark Fosse dance style and provide a thrilling reminder to those who've seen it before just how smart, sexy and exciting this brand of choreography was, or rather, is."
*Greg Evans for Variety*

"Chicago is a triumph! It doesn't just give us the old razzle-dazzle; it glows."
*Richard Zoglin for Time Magazine*

"Chicago still glitters hypnotically! It remains the best adult entertainment in town and still bubbles with the joy of performing!"
*Ben Brantley for New York Times (2007)*

"The show seems to have discovered the fountain of youth. As entertaining as ever. Brash, buoyant and utterly irresistible!"
*Michael Kuchwara for The Associated Press (2003)*

Chicago

Photo credit: Cast of Chicago (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Designed by Herbert J. Krapp, the Ambassador Theatre opened on February 11, 1921 under the ownership of the Shubert Organization with a production of the musical *The Rose Girl*. The Shuberts eventually sold the property in 1935, and it was turned into a cinema and television studio for NBC as well as the DuMont Television Network.

The venue was renamed the Ambassador Tele-Theatre until 1956, when the Shuberts reclaimed ownership and reinstated the building as a Broadway theatre. The Ambassador Theatre has been designated a New York City landmark for preservation.

## How to get to the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway

On the subway, take the C, E, or 1 line to 50th Street. The Ambassador Theatre is located a block away at 49th Street and Broadway.

Additionally, the Ambassador is located near various bus stops: 7th Ave/W 50th St. on the M7, M20, and M104 lines; 8th Ave./W 49th St. on the M20 and M104 lines; and 7th Ave/W 49th St. on the M50 line.

## Restaurants near the Ambassador Theatre

Popular restaurants located within a block of the Ambassador Theatre include The Palm steakhouse, Serafina (Italian), P.S. Kitchen (American), and Junior's Restaurant (American). [Learn more about pre- and post-show restaurants in the Theatre District.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/where-to-eat-before-and-after-a-broadway-show)

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True crime stories are popular nowadays, but the obsession is nothing new. This tale of murderesses in Prohibition-era Chicago is based on a 1926 play, also titled *Chicago*, by former crime journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins. She based her play on two 1920s court cases involving a housewife and cabaret singer, respectively, accused of murdering their husbands. 

The *Chicago* musical, similarly, follows housewife Roxie and vaudevillian Velma, who mimic each other’s publicity stunts and hire the same lawyer in the hopes of making front-page news. It’s the only way to get acquitted, and maybe even make it big.

The original production starred Chita Rivera as Velma and Fosse’s wife, Gwen Verdon, as Roxie and played from 1975 to 1977. The current production, *Chicago*’s first revival, opened in 1996 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, hopping to the Shubert in 1997 and the Ambassador in 2003. This production has far surpassed the original production’s success and set multiple Broadway records. *Chicago* is the second-longest-running Broadway show of all time, only behind *The Phantom of the Opera*.

*Chicago* borrows heavily from 1920s vaudeville variety shows. These included singers, dancers, acrobats, ventriloquists, and more. Different events in *Chicago* on Broadway — like a trial, a press conference, and even an execution — are staged like these different types of acts. An emcee also introduces the songs as though they were a lineup of vaudeville performances.

## What to Watch For

- The *Chicago* musical inspired a 2002 film, which won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Picture. It starred Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart, Catherine Zeta Jones as Velma Kelly, and Richard Gere as Billy Flynn.
- Watkins wrote her play *Chicago* while at Yale Drama School about her experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. The show was originally called *Brave Little Woman*, and it’s now called *Play Ball* when performed to avoid confusion with the musical.
- This production began as a concert presentation at New York City Center’s Encores! in May 1996 and then transferred to Broadway in November that year. Because it was originally a concert, the sets and costumes were, and still are, minimalist, but the full orchestra plays on stage.
- Ann Reinking, who replaced Gwen Verdon in the original Chicago production and originated Roxie Hart in this one, choreographed the revival “in the style of Fosse.” Fosse was nominated for the Best Choreography Tony for his work on the original, but Reinking won for the revival! The choreography of “Hot Honey Rag” remains intact from the original. 
- The *Chicago* Broadway cast has featured plenty of celebrities, including Usher, Brandy, Taye Diggs, Michael C. Hall, Wayne Brady, Melanie Griffith, Brooke Shields, Ashlee Simpson, Jerry Springer, Patrick Swayze, Sofia Vergara, Rita Wilson, Jamie Camil, NeNe Leakes, Rumer Willis, Todrick Hall, Jennifer Nettles, Pamela Anderson, Angelica Ross, and many more.
- Make eye contact with the ensemble at your own risk, as Fosse famously told the cast in 1975: “Dare the audience to look at you, and then look back at them with murder in your eyes.”

Chicago on Broadway [22] - TodayTix

The Kander and Ebb musical about murderesses-turned-overnight-celebrities has razzle-dazzled audiences for decades. With a rotating lineup of stars in the lead roles, you never know who you'll see as starry-eyed housewife Roxie, veteran vaudevillian Velma, and more.

Are you ready for all that jazz? Chicago on Broadway has brought the razzle dazzle for more than 25 years. Get Chicago tickets on New York Theatre Guide now and have a killer night at the theatre.

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 same production still running today.

The *Chicago* Broadway 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 <a href="/theatres/richard-rodgers-theatre">Richard Rodgers Theatre</a> on November 14, 1996, and it later moved to the <a href="/theatres/shubert-theatre">Shubert Theatre</a> and finally the <a href="/theatres/ambassador-theatre">Ambassador Theatre</a> in January 2003.

Chicago on Broadway was nominated for eight Tony Awards in 1997. The show&nbsp;ultimately won six trophies, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Direction of a Musical. The&nbsp;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.

## What is the *Chicago* musical about?

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. Step into the Jazz Age at the Chicago musical, 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.

## Who wrote the *Chicago* musical?

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."

## Is the *Chicago* musical kid-friendly?

*Chicago* is recommended for ages 13 and up, as the show contains strong language and references to sex and crime throughout.

There's nothing quite like experiencing this sizzling show and musical score live! Get Chicago tickets in New York now.

(Photos by Jeremy Daniel)

Chicago - NYC - New York Theatre Guide

Chicago Broadway Tickets | The Official NY Theatre Guide

See why this second-longest-running Broadway show has razzle-dazzled so many audiences. A scorching satire of celebrity culture with classic Kander and Ebb tunes, *Chicago* shows how two ladies use showbiz pizzazz to get away with murder. Get tickets to witness the criminally fun revival that won six Tony Awards.

Chicago - GS - NYC

Find out why countless audiences have painted the town at this Broadway hit. A biting take on fame with unforgettable Kander and Ebb songs, *Chicago* follows two women who use glitz and glam to evade execution. This six-time Tony-winning revival is criminally entertaining.

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