Wright, Ruffelle, Maynard, Rider, Kelvin Return to 'Chicago'

Amra-Faye Wright (Velma Kelly), Frances Ruffelle (Roxie Hart), Terence Maynard (Billy Flynn) and Paul Rider (Amos Hart) will return to star in the smash hit West End musical Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre from November 5 until December 8. At the same time, Sue Kelvin will return to play Mama Morton.

The London production of Chicago celebrated its ninth anniversary on November 18 last year, when it had played 3,743 performances to an audience of over 4 million people.  The smash hit West End musical Chicago transferred from the Adelphi Theatre to the Cambridge Theatre in April last year.  The Cambridge Theatre was the London home of Chicago, when the first production of the show opened there on April 10, 1979, running for 603 performances.  Chicago became the longest running production ever to play at the Adelphi Theatre on October 17, 2005, replacing the previous record holder "Me and My Girl", which had run for 3,303 performances.  

Chicago opened at the Adelphi Theatre on November 18, 1997 to rave reviews and immediately became a sell-out hit.  Chicago won the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for 'Outstanding Musical Production' as well as the 1998 Critics Circle Drama Award for 'Best Musical'.  Currently playing in New York, and on tour in America and the UK, with forthcoming productions planned in Korea, Japan and Denmark, Chicago is produced in London by the Broadway producers Barry and Fran Weissler.

Chicago, which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.  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 Ian Townsend.  Chicago is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie.  The West End production of Chicago is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team.

Tickets for Chicago, priced from £20 - £52.50 (£55 on Saturday evenings, with a £75 VIP Package option, including interval champagne in a private room and souvenir brochure), are available from the Cambridge Theatre Box Office on 0870 890 1102.  Performance times at the Cambridge Theatre are Mondays to Thursdays at 8.00pm, with Friday performances at 4:30-8PM and Saturday performances at 3PM & 8PM.  Chicago is now booking until 27 July 2008.  Visit the Chicago website on www.chicagothemusical.co.uk

Photo: Amra-Faye Wright and Frances Ruffelle