Chicago Marks 1,000th Performance Tonight
Date: 17 April 2000
The multi award-winning, blockbuster musical Chicago celebrates its 1,000th performance at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End tonight. The show, which transferred from Broadway to the Adelphi on 18 November 1997, has won, amongst other accolades, the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production and the 1998 London Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.
Chicago , a comic look at two murderesses trying to beat the rap in 1920s tabloid-mad Chicago, currently stars Josefina Gabrielle (as Roxie Hart), Anna-Jane Casey (Velma Kelly), John Diedrich (Billy Flynn) and Les Dennis (Amos Hart) with Sue Kelvin (Mama Morton) and C Shirvell (Mary Sunshine).
>From Monday 15 May, Brenda Cochrane will take over the role of Mama Morton. Cochrane came to prominence when she won a series of Opportunity Knocks and, since then, has had a successful recording career. Her most recent record, 'The Best of Brenda Cochrane', is released by Telstar.
In other casting news, the production's original Amos, Nigel Planer, will return to the cast to guest star in a reprisal of his acclaimed performance from 8 June to 9 July 2000. He takes over from Les Dennis who is taking a short break for the filming of a new series of his TV show Family Fortunes. Dennis returns to the role on 11 July. Later this summer, Planer will star in the Chichester Festival's production of Alan Ayckbourn's A Small Family Business.
Chicago , which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The West End production is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team. Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Rick Clarke. Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher and musical direction by Gareth Valentine. Chicago is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie.
Chicago is currently playing in New York, Stockholm, Berlin, Utrecht and Singapore and will shortly open in Lisbon. In the West End, it's now booking until March 2001.
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