"Chicago" at the Adler Theatre -- May 15.
Wednesday, May 15, 7:30 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
One of only few musicals in history to win Tonys, a Grammy, and the Academy Award for Best Picture, the legendary Chicago enjoys a tour stop of Davenport's Adler Theatre in May 15, this second-longest-running show in Broadway history a smash with both audiences and critics, with the New York Times stating, "It has theatrical muscle, the characters are vivid, and its issues are ongoing in our public discourse."
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 dazzling and satirical look at fame, justice, and the media machine, as well as a musical spectacular that is as addictive as gossip rags and as unforgettable as any trial of the century.
The world premiere of Chicago was a Broadway tryout from April 8, 1975, to May 3, 1975, at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, the original Broadway production opened on June 3, 1975, at the 46th Street Theatre[3] and ran for 936 performances, with another 600 performances totaled when the show played London's West End in 1979.
Meanwhile, the 1996 Broadway production holds the record as the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. It is the second longest-running show ever to run on Broadway, behind only The Phantom of the Opera. Chicago surpassed Cats in November of 2014, when it played its 7,486th performance, while the West End revival became the longest-running American musical in West End history. The ongoing 1996 revival of Chicago is the longest-running show currently on Broadway, and the musical has been staged in numerous productions around the world. The 2002 film adaptation of the musical also won the Academy Award for Best Picture along with five additional Oscars (including for co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones), while the 1996 revival scored six Tony Awards, including for choreographer Ann Reinking, who played Roxie (substituting for Gwen Verdon) during Chicago's original 1975 run.
The touring production of Chicago lands in Davenport on May 15, admission to the 7:30 p.m. performance in $43-83, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting AdlerTheatre.com.
