VIDEO: CHICAGO Director Walter Bobbie Celebrates Ann Reinking on Reopening Night

At tonight's reopening of Chicago on Broadway, the show's director Walter Bobbie paid tribute to the production's legendary choreographer and original star, Ann Reinking, who passed away in December 2020.

See Walter's remarks below as he honors and remembers this legendary artist not only for her contributions to the successful revival, but for her sparkling talent, intellect, wit, and enormous heart.

In 1996, Reinking was asked to choreograph a four-night-only concert staging of Chicago for City Center's annual Encores! Concert Series, in which she also reprised her role as Roxie after almost 20 years. The concert was then produced on Broadway as a revival, which is now the longest-running American musical on Broadway.

The revival of Chicago won numerous Tony Awards, and Reinking won the Tony Award for Best Choreography. Learn more about Ann Reinking here.

Get a glimpse inside of the opening night performance here as star Bianca Marroquin leads the ensemble through the show's signature number, "All That Jazz" and go inside their opening night curtain call here!

The cast of Chicago includes Ana Villafañe as Roxie Hart, Bianca Marroquin as Velma Kelly, Tony Award-winner Lillias White as Matron "Mama" Morton, with Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart and Ryan Lowe as Mary Sunshine.

The cast also includes David Bushman, Jennifer Dunne, Jessica Ernest, Jeff Gorti, Arian Keddell, Mary Claire King, Barrett Martin, Sharon Moore, Drew Nellessen, Celina Nightengale, Brian O'Brien, Denny Paschall, Angel Reda, Jermaine R. Rembert, Michael Scirrotto, Christine Cornish Smith and Brian Spitulnik.

With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history.

Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.

Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, Chicago features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award winner Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer and casting by Stewart/Whitley.

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who 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.

Tickets are available in person at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W 49th St). Box office hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Tickets are also available at ChicagotheMusical.com

Buy tickets for Chicago now for any performance through January 17, 2022, and you can either exchange or refund your tickets into any other date until two hours before the performance.