The Longest-Running American Musical in Broadway History
Some shows entertain. Some shows endure. And then there is Chicago — a dazzling, razor-sharp musical that has done both for over half a century. Chicago is an American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Set in Chicago in the Jazz Age, the musical is based on the 1926 play of the same name by Maurine Dallas Watkins, then a journalist covering the city’s courthouse beat. A satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice, the plot follows felons who manipulate their stories to develop celebrity status.
In a world obsessed with fame, scandal, and spectacle, Chicago was ahead of its time — and it remains startlingly relevant today.
True Crime at the Heart of the Story
Long before true crime became a cultural obsession, Chicago was mining real-life murder trials for dramatic gold. The musical was based on the play of the same name by Maurine Dallas Watkins — a reporter in Chicago in the 1920s who 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.
The story she created — and the musical that grew from it — is a biting commentary on how celebrity, media manipulation, and showmanship can triumph over justice.
The Plot: Murder, Fame, and Razzle Dazzle
Chicago centers on Roxie Hart, a chorus girl who dreams of being a vaudeville star. She’s cheating on her sweet but dim-witted husband named Amos — and when her lover tries to end their affair, she kills him in a fit of rage. Getting thrown in the Cook County Jail seems like a surefire end to Roxie’s dreams of stardom, but her sentence ends up being her ticket to fame.
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. Instead of performing onstage, they’re mugging for the flashbulbs of newspaper reporters.
The genius of Chicago is that it never lets you forget you’re watching a performance — because the characters themselves never forget it either.
Bob Fosse and the Birth of a Classic
In the 1960s, Gwen Verdon read the play and asked her husband, Bob Fosse, about the possibility of creating a musical adaptation. Fosse approached playwright Watkins numerous times to buy the rights, but she repeatedly declined. Only after Watkins’ death did the rights become available, allowing Fosse to finally bring his vision to life.
The original Broadway production opened in June 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances, closing in August 1977. Fosse directed and choreographed the original production, and his style is strongly identified with the show.
The original Broadway cast included Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart, Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly, Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn, Barney Martin as Amos Hart, and Mary McCarty as Matron “Mama” Morton. It was a spectacular collection of talent, bringing Fosse’s singular choreographic vision to life with sly head tilts, turned-in feet, and the cool, knowing confidence that would become his trademark.
The 1996 Revival: A Second Life and Record-Breaking Run
Twenty years after its debut, Chicago returned to Broadway — and this time, it never left. City Center Encores! presented Chicago in concert in May 1996. The production was directed by Walter Bobbie with choreography in the style of Bob Fosse by Ann Reinking, who also reprised her previous role as Roxie Hart. Also in the cast were Bebe Neuwirth as Velma Kelly, Joel Grey as Amos Hart, and James Naughton as Billy Flynn.
It returned to Broadway twenty years later in 1996, once again received rave reviews, and ended up winning six out of the eight Tony Awards it was nominated for. The 1996 production was so popular that it has remained a staple on Broadway as the second longest-running Broadway show.
The revival, at the Ambassador Theatre, is now the longest-running show currently on Broadway, and second in history only to The Phantom of the Opera. The show’s minimalistic set and costumes allow the focus to stay on the movement, the music, and the story.
A Revolving Door of Stars
One of Chicago‘s most distinctive features is its ever-changing roster of celebrity performers. The musical has become infamous for its ever-rotating roster of stars — from all corners of the stage and screen — playing limited runs as Roxie, Velma, Billy, and Mama Morton. Stage actors, movie stars, singers, reality TV stars, internet personalities, and comedians alike have stepped into Chicago on Broadway.
Some notable celebrities who have played Roxie Hart include Mel B, Christie Brinkley, Marilu Henner, Erika Jayne, Jennifer Nettles, Bebe Neuwirth, Brooke Shields, Ashlee Simpson, and Michelle Williams. This parade of talent has kept the show perpetually fresh and in the headlines — a fitting quality for a show that is literally about staying in the headlines.
The 2002 Film: Bringing Chicago to a New Generation
The musical’s reach extended far beyond Broadway when it was adapted into a major motion picture. Chicago (2002) was directed by Rob Marshall and starred Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere. Its bold choreography and sharp wit earned it six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and it grossed over $306 million worldwide, reigniting interest in the movie musical genre.
The film introduced Chicago to millions who had never set foot in a Broadway theatre, cementing its place in popular culture far beyond the stage.
The Fosse Legacy and Timeless Relevance
Over the decades, Chicago’s lasting footprint on Broadway has helped make Fosse’s style of dance instantly recognizable. With its sly head tilts, specific hand gestures, turned-in feet, and pinpoint isolations, the choreography emits a sexy coolness that is frequently emulated, both on Broadway and well beyond.
As performer Kristen Faith Oei — the first Asian American to play a leading role in the production — put it: “Chicago is timeless; it continues to be relevant. Every night, performing up on that stage, we are revering Fosse, Annie, Chita, Gwen, and all those legends who came before us who created these roles and this story.”
In a media landscape where fame is manufactured, justice is theatrical, and celebrity can outlast morality, Chicago is not just entertaining — it is a mirror held up to society. And after more than fifty years, that mirror still hasn’t cracked.
