Photo Coverage: 'Chicago' Rehearses New Stars Post-Strike

With the end of the 19-day stagehands' strike, the hit musical Chicago also ushered in new cast members: Emmy nominee Aida Turturro ("The Sopranos") as Matron Mama Morton, Vincent Pastore ("The Sopranos") as Amos Hart, and Maxwell Caulfield ("Dynasty") as Billy Flynn.  (All three stars were originally scheduled to begin performances on Monday, November 19.)

Now celebrating eleven glorious years of girls, guns, glitz and glamour on the Great White Way, the record-breaking smash hit musical Chicago is currently the eighth longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival…and it still shows no sign of ever slowing down!

Currently playing at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.), the Broadway production also stars Michelle DeJean as Roxie Hart and Tony nominee Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly.

"Murder.  Greed.  Corruption.  Violence.  Exploitation.  Adultery.  Treachery.  Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids," explain press notes.

With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.           

Directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, Chicago features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer.

The production also features orchestrations by Ralph Burns, supervising music direction by Rob Fisher and music direction by Leslie Stifelman. Visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com for more information.

Photos by Andrew Marks / Retna Ltd.