Chicago the musical

Set in the roaring twenties, this iconic Broadway musical offers a story full of crime, passion and a satirical glimpse at the media’s insatiable hunger for a shocking headline.

The story unfolds with Velma, a vaudeville dancer in Chicago who murdered both her husband and sister after discovering them sleeping together. She is arrested for her crimes and sent to the women’s section of Cook County Jail.

A chorus girl named Roxie is introduced, guilty of murdering her lover when he threatened to leave her. Roxie tells her husband Amos that her dead lover was a burglar and celebrates his naive acceptance of her story. Eventually, the truth comes out and Roxie is also sentenced to prison where she joins Velma and the other inmates.

The prison is run by a “Mama Morton” who acts as a press agent for the girls, securing headlines about the girls’ violent crimes. She promises them their criminal past will aid them in a return to their dancing careers – but she doesn’t offer favors without expectations. Mama Morton
works with Velma and puts her story on the front page as the murder of the week. But Velma’s fame is short lived upon Roxie’s arrival. Roxie hires Velma’s lawyer, Billy Flynn, who crafts a careful reconstruction of Roxie’s story to soften the public’s heart.

As Roxie’s fame grows, she confidently plans her successful return to Vaudevill. Velma grows jealous as her story is forgotten by the media and she tries to convince Roxie to plan a joint show. But Roxie’s own fame flickers out as a new crime of passion takes the spotlight. Both girls realize they can never rely on their sensational stories alone. Roxie plans a fake pregnancy announcement to reclaim the public eye. Amos, her dull witted husband, quickly claims the baby as his own.

Velma’s trial is quickly approaching and she tells her lawyer Billy about her strategies and tricks. Roxie fires Billy after an argument but quickly regrets her actions when she learns an inmate has been executed. Billy then passes along all the ideas Velma had planned for her own trial to Roxie. Roxie shamelessly uses Velma’s strategies to create a spectacle at her trial. She is acquitted, but a recent crime overshadows her verdict and the press abadons her. Amos leaves Roxie after finding out she is not pregnant and Billy moves on to work with other clients.

Alone and embittered by the fickle nature of fame and celebrity, Roxie eventually joins up with Velma in a dual act. The story comes to a close as they perform their Vaudeville routine together.

A glamorous, over-the-top spectacle of a production, Chicago takes the audience on a journey of survival, deception and a hunger for the limelight. Full of musical hits and incredible choreography, it’s easy to see why Chicago is the longest running American musical in Broadway history.