CHICAGO at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

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CHICAGO is a musical tale of “murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery—all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.” Paint the town red with merry murderesses Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly, their hotshot lawyer, Billy Flynn, and the iconic choreography of Bob Fosse.

Set in the legendary city during the roaring “jazz hot” 20s, CHICAGO tells the story of two rival vaudevillian murderesses locked up in Cook County Jail. Nightclub star Velma’s serving time for killing her husband and sister after finding the two in bed together. Driven chorus girl Roxie’s been tossed in the joint for bumping off the lover she’s been cheating on her husband with. Not one to rest on her laurels, Velma enlists the help of prison matron Mama Morton and slickster lawyer Billy Flynn, who turn Velma’s incarceration into a murder-of-the-week media frenzy, thus preparing the world for a splashy showbiz comeback. But Roxie’s got some of her own tricks up her sleeve…

Devilish and delightful, CHICAGO is an indisputable Broadway landmark that utilizes minimal scenery and simple costumes (we’re talking some seriously basic black) to deliver one big musical bang after another. With one great showstopper after the next, John Kander and Fred Ebb’s now-classic score keeps the story moving at a gunshot pace. The scantily-clad dancers tip their bowler hats in tribute to original choreography Bob Fosse, whose moves are still as steamy and sexy today as they were when Chicago first appeared in 1975. For a show that stands chin-deep in dirty deeds, it feels like one helluva good time.

Authors

• Bob Fosse
• Fred Ebb
• John Kander
• Maurine Dallas Watkins
• Sam Shepard

Ages: Although it’s simple in its presentation, kids who appreciate Broadway will certainly respond to the exciting theatricality of this long-running hit. Parents should be warned of the show’s hot topics, including murder, violence and adultery, as well as some off-color dialogue. But in comparison to what’s on TV these days, it’s pretty tame.