Chicago

• Original Broadway Production (1975)
  New York, NY
• National Tour (1977)
• Bus and Truck Tour (1st Leg) (1979)
• London Production (1979)
  London, England
• Bus and Truck Tour (2nd Leg) (1979)
• Australian Production (1981)
• Crusaid Benefit Concert (1990)
  London, England
• Leicester Revival (1991)
  London, England
• Encores! Concert (1996)
  New York, NY
• Broadway Revival (1996)
  New York, NY
• 1st National Tour (1997)
• London Revival (1997)
  London, England
• 2nd National Tour (1997)
• Australian Production (1998)
• 4th National Tour (2000)
• UK Tour (2001)
• Film Version (2002)
• National Tour (2003)
• 7th National Tour (Non-Equity) (2007)
• National Tour (2008)
• Australian Tour (2009)
• National Tour (2011)
• Hollywood Bowl Concert (2013)
  Hollywood, CA
• National Tour (2013)
• Leicester Curve Production (2013)
  London, England
• UK Tour (2021)

Click on the title for info on the song.

Original score

• All That Jazz
• Funny Honey
• Cell Block Tango
• When You're Good to Mama
• Tap Dance
• All I Care About
• A Little Bit of Good
• We Both Reached for the Gun
• Roxie
• I Can't Do It Alone
• Chicago After Midnight
• My Own Best Friend
  • aka I Am My Own Best Friend [no note]
• I Know a Girl
• Me and My Baby
• Mister Cellophane
  • aka Mr. Cellophane [no note]
• When Velma Takes the Stand
• Razzle Dazzle
• Class
• Nowadays
• R.S.V.P.
• Hot Honey Rag
  • aka Keep It Hot [no note]

Cut during New York previews

• Ten Percent
• No

Cut prior to Broadway opening

• It
• Loopin' De Loop
  • aka Looping de Loop [no note]
• B-I-Double L-Y
• Rose Colored Glasses
• Pansy Eyes
• No, No, No
  • aka No [no note]

Cut from original and film

Added to film version

• I Move On

Recordings listed here were done in the studio specifically to release as recordings. They do not represent cast recordings of a particular production.

• Jazz Instrumental (1975)
  No cast listed yet.
• Studio Cast (1975)
  Lee Konitz , Major Holley

• Composer Demo [audio]
• Demo Recording [audio]

Based on the play Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins

A musical vaudeville involving two murderesses and the lawyer who gets them off.

The original play was based on Maurine Dallas Watkins' experiences reporting on murder trials in Chicago in the 1920s. In particular, it was based on two trials.

One was that of Beulah Annan (who was the basis for Roxie). She was accused of murdering Harry Kalstedt, her lover. She claimed that he tried to rape her and she shot him in self defense. The police concluded that he tried to leave her and she shot him out of jealousy. Her husband pooled as much money as he could to get her the best lawyers in Chicago. Beulah went to trial in 1924 but was acquitted. Immediately after the trial, she divorced her husband claiming that he was "too slow".

Another trial that figured into Watkins' play was that of Belva Gaertner (the basis for Velma). She shot and killed her lover, Walter Law. He was found in the front seat of Belva's car. She was later found at her apartment with blood-soaked clothes on the floor. She said that she was drunk and couldn't remember what happened. She went to trial. Her defense was that Law had killed himself. Belva was acquitted.