But later on, as presented here in “Chicago The Musical”, the lawyer’s job is to provide the client with something to say to the press and to the jury, something that Roxie Hart badly needed. She doesn’t have the brain. She doesn’t have the money. But she has Amos who may be way dumber than Roxie will ever be.
Meet the Current Cast of CHICAGO on Broadway! The names on everybody's lips! With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history.
Rob Fisher was the original conductor and music director for CHICAGO and its Grammy Award–winning cast album, and now supervises all CHICAGO companies worldwide. He has been the music director and conductor of City Center’s Tony Award–winning Encores! series since its inception in 1994.
Meet the Current Cast of CHICAGO on Broadway! Desi Oakley (Roxie Hart): Amra-Faye Wright (Velma Kelly): Raymond Bokhour (Amos Hart): Ryan Silverman (Billy Flynn): NaTasha Yvette Williams (Matron "Mama" Morton): R. Lowe (Mary Sunshine): Nili Bassman (Hunyak): Eddie Bennet (Swing): David Bushman (Swing, Dance Captain):
Richard Gere as Billy Flynn, a duplicitous, greedy, smooth-talking lawyer who turns his clients into celebrities to gain public support for them.
Belva GaertnerHistorical basis. Velma Kelly's character was based on a woman named Belva Gaertner. Belva was a cabaret singer who had been married and divorced twice. After those men had come and gone, she had a lover named Walter Law, who she thought was the right man for her.
Maxwell Caulfield. Cool Rider and Broadway star! Grease 2 lead Maxwell Caulfield played Billy Flynn in 2007.
Living… in Cook County Jail. Velma was arrested for the double murder of her husband and her sister, who she caught doing “the spread-eagle” one night after a show.
The plot of the film is drawn from the 1926 play Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins which was in turn based on the true story of Beulah Annan, fictionalized as Roxie Hart (Phyllis Haver), and her spectacular murder of her boyfriend.
Hardened by fame, she cares for no one but herself and her attempt to get away with murder. Reads and keeps up with murder trials in Chicago, and follows suit by murdering her lover, Fred Casely.
Flynn is a composite character based on real-life Chicago attorneys of the era, William Scott Stewart and W. W. O'Brien. In the musical adaptation, his style is based upon Ted Lewis.
Jerry OrbachChicago: A Musical Vaudeville opened on June 3, 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre, and ran for a total of 936 performances, closing on August 27, 1977. The opening night cast starred Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly, Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart, Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn and Barney Martin as Amos Hart.
Gwen Verdon played the original Roxie Hart in the 1975 production of Chicago on Broadway, which got her nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Velma Kelly is the main antagonist of the musical Chicago and its 2002 film adaptation. She is imprisoned on the suspicion of murdering her husband and sister (which she privately confesses to) and is also the chief rival and nemesis of the (equally villainous) Roxie Hart.
Hunyak, a Hungarian immigrant accused of murder, becomes the first woman in Cook County to be hanged for her crime even though it's clear she's the only innocent murderess on that stage. So using some free internet translation tools, the team here uncovered what Hunyak was trying to tell us in “Cell Block Tango”.
They belonged to Beulah Annan, who was the inspiration for Roxie Hart of Chicago — the 1924 play, the 1927 silent, the 1975 musical and the 2002 Oscar-winning film (and that 1942 Ginger Rogers flick). A married woman accused of shooting her lover in the back, Annan's murder trial was inescapably tabloid-ready.
Charlotte d’Amboise returns to CHICAGO after starring as Fastrada in the Tony Award–winning revival of Pippin. For her portrayal of Roxie in the CHICAGO ’s first national tour, she earned L.A. Drama Critics Circle, L.A. Ovation, and Bay Area Theatre Circle awards.
The John Kander and Fred Ebb collaboration of four decades has created what many would consider Broadway standards and contemporary classics: Flora, the Red Menace; Cabaret (Tony Award); The Happy Time; Zorba; 70 Girls, 70; CHICAGO; The Act; Woman of the Year (Tony Award, Best Score); The Rink; Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award, Best Score); and Steel Pier.
Billy Flynn is a heavily corrupt lawyer notorious for getting unrepentant murderers freed. After Roxie murders her lover Fred Casely, whom she was committing adultery with, she hears about what Billy Flynn did for another murderess, the infamous Velma Kelly, and he becomes her lawyer.
Billy is a calm, smooth-talking and charismatic lawyer who always looks for loopholes and twists the truth in order for him to win his clients' cases. He is incredibly confident and manipulative and always uses whatever lie he can think of as long as it helps his clients.
Hugh Jackman was apparently offered the role, but declined due to him thinking that he was too young.
BroadwayWorld.com. Jun. 30, 2019. Tickets. Cast. Photos. Videos. Info. With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history. Since the revival opened on Broadway in 1996, it has played over 9300 performances at Richard Rodgers ...
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.
Amra-Faye Wright (Velma Kelly): Amra-Faye Wright has played this role worldwide since 2001, and on Broadway and the West End since 2005, including both 10th anniv. productions, and in Japan in Japanese. She received the Naledi and Fleur du Cap Awards (South Africa's Tony equivalent).
Desi Oakley (Roxie Hart): Fresh off of baking around the country as the original Jenna in the national tour of Waitress, Desi is thrilled to rock Chicago! Broadway credits include Wicked, Annie, Les Misérables. National tour credits include Wicked, Evita, Waitress. Desi's new original album "Repeat" can be found on iTunes ...
The revival's first cast featured Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth and Joel Grey. Now time to see what all that jazz is about with the current 2019 cast.
Eddie Bennet (Swing): Proud cast member of Chicago, choreographer/dancer for pop star Debbie Gibson, co-host of the weekly podcast #BookendBaldies (now on iTunes). Thanks to my creator, lucky star & family.