CHICAGO To Return To Philadelphia After 17 Years

Chicago will return to Philadelphia's Forrest Theatre, beginning May 12-17, presented by Ensemble Arts Philly and The Shubert Organization.  A universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one hit song after another and the best dancing you've ever seen.

"Philadelphia has a long and rich history of presenting Broadway, not only at our Academy of Music and Miller Theater on Broad Street, but at the Forrest Theatre, as well; owned and operated by our partners at The Shubert Organization, the Forrest even hosted Chicago's pre-Broadway run before the show opened in New York in 1975," said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. "Now more than 50 years later, Chicago returns to Philadelphia for the first time since 2009, a testament to its longevity through the decades and place as one of the most popular musicals of all time."

The 2025-26 touring cast of Chicago features Ellie Roddy in her return to the cellblock as Roxie Hart, Claire Marshall making her debut as Velma Kelly along with Max Cervantes as Billy Flynn, Marc Christopher as Amos Hart, Illeana "illy" Kirven returning as Matron "Mama" Morton, and J. Clanton as Mary Sunshine.

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously 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.

With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history. Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.