CHICAGO to Make India Debut at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre

 

CHICAGO - the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, will make its India debut at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre's Grand Theatre. 

Since its opening in 2023, the Centre has established itself as a destination for world-class theatre, presenting 10 major international Broadway and West End productions to date, with CHICAGO marking its 11th. The Mumbai debut of CHICAGO builds on this ongoing exchange, bringing another landmark work of musical theatre to Indian audiences while creating a platform for global productions to be experienced in Mumbai.

Based on Maurine Dallas Watkins' 1926 play, CHICAGO was adapted for the stage by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The original production was directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, with a creative team including John Lee Beatty, William Ivey Long, Ken Billington, and Ricke Clarke. Set in the razzle-dazzle decadence of 1920s Chicago, the story follows Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer whose murder of her lover lands her in Cook County Jail. There, she meets vaudeville star Velma Kelly, while the charismatic lawyer Billy Flynn turns Roxie's crime into a media sensation. As Roxie and Velma compete for public and press attention, the musical examines the blurred lines between crime, celebrity, and spectacle, with a sharp eye for how fame can shape public perception.

The production features Fosse's unmistakable jazz choreography, complemented by a live orchestra and a score featuring some of musical theatre's most iconic numbers, including All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango, When You're Good to Mama, Roxie and Hot Honey Rag.

Since its Broadway revival in 1996, CHICAGO has become one of musical theatre's most renowned productions. It has received six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award. Its influence extends beyond the stage, with the 2002 film adaptation directed by Rob Marshall and starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, further cementing CHICAGO's place in popular culture.