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Chicago is a
song and dance musical that tells the story of two American women in 1929
Chicago getting away with murder (thanks to a lawyer so bent he can barely look anyone
straight in the eye). Chicago is a
shimmering, sleazy, thrilling, and heartless smash-n-grab on truth, justice, and the
American way (no Superman or Wonder Woman here, folks). Dance is a core element
that dramatizes and dictates the tone and temperature of the entire show.
Click here to view the current
Broadway production's web site.
The Chicago musical extravaganza originally opened on
Broadway in 1975 with Gwen Vernon, Chita Rivera, and Jerry Orbach. The
show enjoyed a healthy run of 898 performances and remained quietly in the
shadows until 1997 when it was revived on Broadway by choreographer Ann Reinking
"in the style of original choreographer Bob Fosse." The new production
starred Bebe Neuwirth (who most of us remember as Lillith on Frasier),
Ann Reinking, James Naugton, and Joel Grey. The revival won 6 Tony awards
including Best Revival of a Musical. The Chicago restoration
has spawned a national tour and is currently Broadway's longest running revival.
A movie version of the show is scheduled for release in the fall of 2002 and
stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Christine Baranski,
and Taye Diggs. Click
here for information about the 2002 Miramax movie.
Chicago
inspired a Grammy award-winning original cast album and boasts such show-stopping tunes as
All That Jazz, Razzle Dazzle, and Class.
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