The West End’s favourite felonious fishnet-clad musical, Chicago, will celebrate 5,000 London performances on its 12th London birthday when its cast takes to the Cambridge theatre stage tonight.
The sixth longest running show currently playing in London’s Theatreland, Chicago opened at the Adelphi theatre in 1997, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production the following year. Following nine successful years on the Strand, it transferred to the Cambridge theatre in 2006, celebrating its 10th anniversary there a year later.
The Kander and Ebb musical tells the tale of two showgirls, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, who find notoriety and fame when they both end up on the wrong side of the prison bars. Their only hope for release and increased pulling power is the sleazy, system-working lawyer Billy Flynn.
The musical’s 5,000 performances have seen a collection of stars take on the sexy leading roles, including Ruthie Henshall, Henry Goodman, Nigel Planer, Denise Van Outen, Suzanne Shaw, Alison Moyet, Michelle Williams, Jerry Springer, David Hasselhoff and John Barrowman.
MA