Chicago is all set to tap its way across the UK in 2024

Broadway's longest-running current musical, Chicago, is all set to take the UK by storm this year with a tour that will stop at several notable venues, such as Newcastle's Theatre Royal.

Chicago is a musical black comedy that tells the sordid tale of two criminals with grand dreams of the stage. A chorus girl and aspiring vaudevillian named Roxie Hart (Ariana Madix) and established vaudevillian Velma Kelly (Amra-Faye Wright) find themselves at odds with one another when they must compete as much for fame as for their lawyer, Billy Flynn (Max Von Essen).

All that jazz

The tale of Chicago was first told in a 1926 play by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins who based her leading ladies on real-life accused murderers Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner. Set against the backdrop of the Jazz Age and the growing interest in female defendants, Chicago proved to be a remarkable satire of the corrupt criminal justice system and offered a nuanced take on the concept of "celebrity."

While multiple film adaptations preceded the musical version, it was the 2002 film adaptation of the musical that finally hit the mark, propelling an already-famous show into even greater stardom. The film starred Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere, and won an Academy Award for Best Picture. The musical also saw multiple productions and revivals, with the ongoing 1996 revival, currently playing at the Ambassador Theatre, being the longest-running show that is currently showing on Broadway.

Across the pond

With such success in every avenue and previous successful runs on West End, it's certainly no surprise that the musical was just itching to make its way back to the UK once again. The Chicago UK Tour kicks off on 12 October in Milton Keynes and will cover multiple venues well into 2025.

Indulge in the glitz and glamor of Broadway's Chicago before it kicks off its UK Tour.