Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids. A true New York City institution, Chicago is the longest running American musical in Broadway history.
Any gripes about the producers of 'Chicago' charging full-scale prices for a stripped-down show evaporate like vapors from bathtub gin the second Bebe Neuwirth & Co. open the show with a pulse-quickening rendition of 'All That Jazz.' This concert staging, wonderfully choreographed by Ann Reinking (with a credit to 'the style of Bob Fosse'), is a bit more elaborate than when presented by City Center's Encores series in the spring, but even if it weren't, the performances, wit and sophistication of the show would more than earn a place on Broadway.
Because the revival of 'Chicago' is so wildly entertaining, I'm hesitant to call it important - always an ugly adjective for a reviewer to use - but I'm afraid I must... What makes 'Chicago' - here's that dreaded word - important is that it reminds us that musicals are about songs and performers, not scenery. When you have material and performances as dynamic as this, you don't need chandeliers.
Price: $49.00
Where: Box Office only
Limit: Two per customer
Restrictions: Not available for Saturday evenings - Subject to availability.
Price: $27
Where: Box Office
Limit: Two per customer
Restrictions: Available day of performance only when the performance is sold out.
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