Chicago, the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, was staged at Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, SIP from Dec 19 to 22, offering Suzhou citizens a good chance to savor the charm and essence of the indisputable Broadway landmark. 

 

Set in the Jazz-age Chicago, the musical, a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice, is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and crimes she reported on. It is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her 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.

 

As the winner of six Tony, two Laurence Olivier, one Grammy, two British Academy Film and six Oscar awards, Chicago has been performed for over 31 million audiences in more than 490 cities across the world, winning continuous stream of good reviews for always being able to provoke profound reflections on human nature and society.