Chicago the Musical Tickets

John Kander's remarkable musical compositions took the musical Chicago to great heights. The heartfelt libretto was written by Fred Ebb, while Ebb and Bob Fosse co-wrote the book. The musical is based on the concept of "celebrity criminal," where fame and celebrities are valued more than truth. The storyline is adopted from a 1926 play called "Chicago" penned by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, which describes the crimes she worked on as a reporter. The satire reveals the corruption that prevails in the administration of criminal justice. Get Chicago the musical tickets and learn the inside stories of the criminal world.

The original Broadway production premiered at the 46th Street Theatre in 1975 and ran for 936 performances over two years until 1977. The original production was choreographed by Bob Fosse. Before the revival of the musical on Broadway, the show debuted on the West End in 1979 and ran for 600 performances. The revival made Broadway history by being the "longest-running American musical" and "longest-running musical revival," and set a record for being the "third longest running show" with over 6,700 performances.

The Broadway revival was followed by the West End revival that ran for almost 15 years, making West End history by becoming the "longest-running American musical." Besides Broadway, the musical has had numerous tours and international productions. Rob Marshall directed the Academy Award-winning movie version of the musical in 2002, starring Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, and John C. Reilly.

Set in the era of the twenties in the legendary city, Chicago narrates the tale of two vaudevillian killers who are serving time in Cook County Jail. Velma, the nightclub star, killed her husband and her sister after she found them in bed together, while Roxie, the chorus girl, killed her lover whom she was cheating on her husband with. With the help of her slickster lawyer Billy Flynn and prison matron Mama Morton, Velma turns her imprisonment into a media frenzy "murder of the week." While Velma is preparing for her flashy showbiz return, Roxie has some tricks of her own up her sleeve. Will Velma be successful in her plan? What is Roxie plotting? Will the tricks be able to get Roxie what she wants? Find out for yourself by getting Chicago the musical tickets.

Utilizing minimal scenery and simple black costumes, the indisputable Broadway landmark Chicago is both devilish and delightful. Presenting one incredible showstopper after another, Fred Ebb penned the book in vaudeville style. The show presented musical numbers modeled on the performers. The character of Velma was Texas Guinan, Roxie was Helen Morgan, Mama Morton was Sophie Tucker, and Billy Flynn was Ted Lewis. The repertoire of the soundtracks includes "Overture" – Orchestra, "When You're Good to Mama" – Matron "Mama" Morton, "I Can't Do It Alone" – Velma, "My Own Best Friend" – Roxie and Velma, "Razzle Dazzle" – Billy and Company, "Me and My Baby" – Roxie and Company, and more.

Lyn Gardner describes the phenomenal musical in her article on The Guardian. She praises the artistic elements of the show, saying that as the curtain rises, the sight and sound of tapping feet is glorious. She further defines the artists behind the curtain with respect to the revival by Paul Kerryson. The choreography presented by Bob Fosse was revolutionary, but choreographer Drew McOnie and Paul presented the musical with a delightful makeover without disturbing the fluidity of the show. Visit your nearest venue and treat yourself to this delightful musical experience.

Besides being highly entertaining, Chicago the Musical is a thought-provoking satire that highlights the fact that modern society is responsible for glamorizing criminals. The inspiration for the play came to Chicago Tribune reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, whose newspaper coverage of two 1924 murders caused a sensation among readers. When news of crime becomes a sensation, criminals are turned into superstars, which is a serious shift from the logic of crime warranting punishment. Chicago the Musical makes an impact as it successfully satirizes this obvious disjunction.

Chicago's original musical score was modeled after traditional vaudeville numbers, and the 1996 revival was revamped for contemporary audiences with a modern, minimalist stage design and all-black costumes. Chicago the Musical won six Tony Awards—more than any other revival in Broadway history, winning in categories such as Best Musical Revival, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Lighting Design, Best Director, and Best Choreography. The 2003 cast recording of the revival was released in 2003 and won a Grammy. Chicago the Musical made it to London's West End in 1997, winning the Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical. International productions include venues as diverse as theaters in Germany, Italy, Romania, South Korea, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Scotland, China, Australia, Singapore, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates. Amateur productions of Chicago the Musical have taken place in Cyprus, Pakistan, Norway, and Albania.

Seeing his dream realized, producer Weissler said of Chicago the Musical: "What a thrill it is to see that Chicago continues to reach new audiences all over the world. To know that Kander and Ebb's fantastic songs continue to be performed by actors in a variety of languages across the globe is truly phenomenal. We're delighted to now be able to introduce the excitement of Chicago the Musical to millions of Japanese theatre-goers in their native language."

Because the theme (of criminal justice being intertwined with popular entertainment) provokes interesting questions about the track modern society has taken as it continues to redefine and reshape our sense of morality, Chicago's plot has had appeal for nearly a hundred years. There have been three film versions: Chicago in 1927, Roxie Hart in 1942, and the Academy Award-winning film Chicago released in 2002, starring Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Among the hit songs from the musical are "All That Jazz," "Razzle Dazzle," and "We Both Reached for the Gun" (also known as "The Press Conference Rag," a ventriloquist act). The choreography is masterfully done, brilliantly restoring vaudeville in a contemporary mold. This show is a must-see!