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Photo Coverage: CHICAGO Celebrates 12 Years on Broadway

On Friday, November 14, 2008, Broadway's six-time Tony Award-winning smash hit musical CHICAGO celebrated two major milestones: its 12th Anniversary and its 5,000th performance on The Great White Way. Special guest, the original Velma Kelly, Tony-winner Bebe Neuwirth stopped by to cheer the cast on as they celebrated ‘CHICAGO' style! BroadwayWorld.com's cameras joined in on all the birthday fun!

Among its myriad of honors, CHICAGO has the distinction of being the second longest-running show currently on Broadway, the eighth longest-running production in Broadway history and Broadway's longest-running musical revival...and it still shows no sign of slowing down!

Directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, the Broadway production now stars two-time Tony Award nominee Charlotte d'Amboise as Roxie Hart and Tony Award nominee Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly.

Both Ms. d'Amboise and Ms. Braxton hold records for having played Roxie and Velma (respectively) more than any other actress in the 12-year history of the Broadway production -- over 1,250 performances each.

CHICAGO also stars Tony Award nominee Tom Hewitt as Billy Flynn and Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart.

Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, CHICAGO opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 14, 1996. It transferred to the Shubert Theatre on February 4, 1997 and later moved to its current home at the Ambassador Theatre on January 29, 2003.

The Broadway production received six 1997 Tony Awards (including Best Musical Revival), five Drama Desk Awards, five Outer Critics Circle Awards and the Grammy Award for Best Cast Recording.

CHICAGO has launched nine U.S. national tours since 1997, with a tenth national tour set to kick-off in Charlotte, NC on Tuesday, November 11, 2008.

But CHICAGO's success is by no means limited to the United States. Since 1996, productions of CHICAGO have played a total of 23 countries throughout the world, in 11 languages.

The Olivier Award-winning London production of CHICAGO, which celebrates its 11th Anniversary this month, continues to hold the record as the longest-running American musical in West End theatre history.

In 2009, international return engagements of CHICAGO are slated for Australia, Spain and Holland, as well as the re-launch of the U.K. national tour and the premiere engagement in Bangkok, Thailand.

CHICAGO has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, and has played over 17,000 performances for a total estimated audience on more than 18 million people.

Visit www.chicagothemusical.com for additional information.