Chicago to Hold 25th Anniversary Performance With Original Broadway Stars

The Kander and Ebb musical marks a quarter century on Broadway.

Chicago will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Broadway with a special performance on November 16.
Chicago will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Broadway with a special performance on November 16.
(Image courtesy of the production)

A special performance of Chicago will be held at the Ambassador Theatre on Tuesday, November 16, at 6:30pm in celebration of the production's landmark 25th anniversary on Broadway. The evening's show will feature appearances by original cast members as well as other surprises.

With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago holds the title of longest-running American musical in Broadway history. On November 16, the musical will have played nearly 10,000 performances on Broadway, and over the last 25 years, the show has been seen in 36 different countries and seen by 33 million people worldwide.

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

The current cast of Chicago features Ana Villafañe as Roxie Hart, Bianca Marroquín as Velma Kelly, Tony Award winner Paulo Szot as Billy Flynn, Tony Award winner Lillias White as Matron "Mama" Morton, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart, and Ryan Lowe as Mary Sunshine. Rounding out the ensemble are David Bushman, Jennifer Dunne, Jessica Ernest, Jeff Gorti, Arian Keddell, Mary Claire King, Joseph London, Barrett Martin, Sharon Moore, Drew Nellessen, Celina Nightengale, Brian O'Brien, Denny Paschall, Angel Reda, Jermaine R. Rembert, Michael Scirrotto, Christine C. Smith, and Brian Spitulnik.

Winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, this production of Chicago is directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking. The original 1996 cast starred Bebe Neuwirth as Velma Kelly and Ann Reinking as Roxie Hart.

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