Overview
Synopsis
Broadway’s longest-running American musical, Chicago is a dazzling and satirical look at fame, justice, and the media machine. Set in 1920s Chicago and based on real-life murders and trials, Chicago follows Roxie Hart, a wannabe vaudevillian star who murders her lover and is arrested, despite her attempts to convince her pushover husband, Amos, to lie for her. In the Cook County Jail, Roxie meets her hero, the famed double-murderess and nightclub performer Velma Kelly. When both acquire the same lawyer, the greedy and lustful superstar, Billy Flynn, tensions come to a head as they vie for the spotlight-- though instead of onstage, they’re mugging for the flashbulb of the newspaper reporters. With catchy, sexy music and timeless lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a funny, intelligent, and utterly engaging book by Kander and Bob Fosse, Chicago is a musical spectacular that is as addictive as gossip rags and as unforgettable as any trial of the century.
Show Information
- Music
- John Kander
- Lyrics
- Fred Ebb
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1975
- Genres
- Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Spectacle
- Time & Place
- chicago, late 1920
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Diverse Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
John Kander and Fred Ebb’s hit musical Chicago was based on the play of the same name by Maurine Dallas Watkins. A reporter in Chicago in the 1920s, Watkins covered the popular trials of two female murderers-- Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan-- who both blamed their actions on the negative effects of drink and jazz. At the time, female murderesses were media darlings, and following the two “jazz babies’” acquittal in 1924, Watkins wrote a satirical play, turning Gaertner into
to read the context for Chicago and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
It is the mid-1920s, in Chicago Illinois. Velma Kelly, who, with her sister, performed a famous and popular double-act (until Velma is arrested for the murder of her sister and husband, who she found in bed together) welcomes the audience to the show (“All That Jazz”). Meanwhile, vaudeville wannabe Roxie Hart has sex with her lover, Fred Casely, who has not kept his word about introducing Roxie to a nightclub producer. In fury, Roxie shoots Fred dead.
When Roxie’s husband, Amos,
to read the plot for Chicago and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Countertenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
|
Songs
Act One
- Overture – Orchestra
- * All That Jazz – Velma Kelly and Company
- Funny Honey – Roxie Hart
- * Cell Block Tango– Velma, Annie, Liz, June, *Hunyak, Mona
- When You're Good to Mama – Matron "Mama" Morton
- * All I Care About – Billy Flynn and the Girls
- A Little Bit of Good – Mary Sunshine
- We Both Reached for the Gun – Billy, Roxie, Mary and the Reporters
- * Roxie – Roxie and the Boys
- * I Can't Do It Alone – Velma
- * I Can't Do It Alone (Reprise) - Velma
- Chicago After Midnight – Orchestra
- My Own Best Friend – Roxie and Velma
- * Finale Act I: All That Jazz (Reprise) - Velma
Act Two
- Entr'acte – Orchestra
- I Know a Girl – Velma
- Me and My Baby – Roxie and Company
- Mr. Cellophane – Amos Hart
- When Velma Takes the Stand – Velma and the Boys
- Razzle Dazzle – Billy and Company
- Class – Velma and Mama Morton
- Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag – Velma and Roxie
- Finale Act II: All That Jazz (Reprise) – Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A powerful, resonant singing technique used in musical theatre to project high notes with chest voice.
Relating to the theatrical style of Bertolt Brecht, emphasizing social critique and distancing the audience from emotional immersion.
A form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, and drama, often performed in a nightclub or pub-style venue.
The art of designing and arranging movement sequences for theatrical dance and physical storytelling.
The concluding musical or dramatic number that provides resolution and emotional closure for the audience.
A musical genre characterized by syncopation and improvisation, frequently integrated into musical theatre for style and rhythm.
A new production of a previously performed play or musical, often reinterpreting its themes or updating its design.
Satire is a dramatic style that uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize human behavior, social institutions, or political systems. In theatre, it highlights flaws and hypocrisies through wit and parody, encouraging audiences to laugh while also reflecting on serious issues. Satire can range from lighthearted comedy to biting social commentary, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
A variety entertainment form popular in the U.S. from the late 19th century to the early 20th, featuring diverse short acts.
A low, creaky vibration in the voice sometimes used stylistically or as a vocal exercise in training.
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