CHICAGO-from lame to great.

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• Chicago

The jazz-infused Kander and Ebb musical Chicago is a legendary tale of fame, scandal, and corruption set in 1920s Jazz Age Illinois. Based on a 1926 play by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, the show satirizes the concept of "celebrity criminals" by following vaudevillians Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. [1, 2, 3]

The Flop: While the original 1975 production of this jazzy Kander and Ebb musical was decent, it was heavily overshadowed by A Chorus Line. The original run closed after 600 performances, which was modest for a classic.

The 1975 Original: A Modest Run: 

The original production opened on June 3, 1975, at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre). [1]

• The Cast & Creators: Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, the show starred legendary performers including Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart, Chita Rivera as Velma, and Jerry Orbach as lawyer Billy Flynn. 
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  The Shadow of A Chorus Line: Opening in the same season as the megahit A Chorus Line, Chicago was severely overshadowed. Fosse's dark, cynical take on media manipulation was met with mixed reviews from critics who found the satire too sharp. [1]
• The Closure: The original Broadway run ultimately closed after 936 performances in 1977, and an original West End production closed after 600 performances in 1979. [1, 2, 3]

The Phenomenon: A stripped-back 1996 concert staging for Encores! was a runaway success and transferred to Broadway. Utilizing the iconic Bob Fosse style, it has since become the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. [1, 3, 4, 5]

The 1996 Phenomenon: A Historic Revival

Everything changed when the musical was given a second chance, ultimately launching it into legendary theatrical records. [1, 2, 3]

• The Encores! Staging: In May 1996, the New York City Center's Encores! series presented a stripped-back, minimalist concert version of the musical. Directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking (who also starred as Roxie), the production utilized iconic Bob Fosse style, staging the performers in sleek black costumes around a central onstage band. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Broadway Transfer: The concert staging was a runaway success. It officially transferred to Broadway on November 14, 1996, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre before moving to the Shubert Theatre and eventually the Ambassador Theatre, where it continues its historic run today. [1, 2]
• The Record: The 1996 revival has gone on to become the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. [1]

What my opinion is:

So, good news for me, I actually saw this musical at a dinner theater. It totally changed how the actors and audience connected. It felt way more intimate and the audience could actually interact with the actors on stage a bit more. (**Seeing a Broadway show in a dinner theater format merges dining and entertainment into one seamless, immersive1 evening. It allows you to relax with a multi-course meal directly at your table while enjoying top-tier musical performances, offering a more intimate, casual, and stress-free experience than a traditional theater. [1, 2]**)

With my dialysis treatments now, it's tough to plan a trip to NYC for a real Broadway show, so I get my theater fix however I can. Dinner theater, movies, local theater (if I'm up for it), even high school productions, if possible. I'm not picky, because I truly believe there's always a "diamond in the rough" in every show.

I'm going to call it quits for this post. I hope your weekend is bright and shiny and you come out of it refreshed and renewed.

Tina

My quote for you:

Arthur Miller: "The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life."