Synopsis
Chicago, set in the 1920’s, is a vaudeville production about the wildness of those times – the "Roaring Twenties." Through the crimes of eight separate women the play examines the justice system, adultery, murder, and above all, JAZZ!
Roxy Hart shoots her lover Fred Casely because he is leaving her. After attempting to pass the murder off as the self-defense slaying of a burglar, she ends up in jail, where she meets other equally delightful murderesses. She is also aided by the matron, Mama Morton, in "making the most" of her criminal activities. Roxy soon learns that Chicago is a city that loves a good murder with a beautiful criminal at its heart.
Velma Kelly, one of the other murderous ladies, is looking for a replacement for her sister in her vaudeville act. Unfortunately, Velma had murdered her sister after finding her in a compromising position with Velma’s husband.
Both women’s singing careers are on hold, pending the outcomes of their trials. When Billy "Razzle-Dazzle" Flynn successfully frees the women from their murder charges, the two take their show on the road.
The play is a light-hearted satire about adultery, murder, and the shortcomings of the criminal justice system. Most of all, it invites us to laugh at ourselves, and our willingness to be "bamboozled" by charming rogues.
