SCRIPT CONTENT DETAILS Please note: the following information contains plot
... The plot of Chicago centers around the action leading up to and during a ...
Chicago
Production Preview Guide Many people have different ideas about what material is appropriate, both for themselves and their families. This parental guideline is provided to give you the necessary information to determine if the content of our production suitable for you and your loved ones. Please be aware that this document is provided with the intent of full-disclosure, and therefore contains plot spoilers. Also, because all of our productions are locally produced, there may be cases where minor changes occur as the director prepares the show for the stage. In such cases, this guide will be updated accordingly. Once the show is open and on stage, there will be no further changes. VERSIONS AVAILABLE TO PREVIEW: A film version, also titled Chicago, was produced in 2002. It stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine ZetaJones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and John C. Reilly and is directed by Rob Marshall. SCRIPT CONTENT DETAILS Please note: the following information contains plot spoilers. The plot of Chicago centers around the action leading up to and during a murder trial. There are descriptions of violent murders, as well as gun violence and physical abuse depicted on-stage. Additionally, alcohol and drunkenness are depicted or implied at various points in the script. Finally, sex is depicted and/ or described on stage. SHOW SYNOPSIS: The following synopsis is provided to give you a full account of the story of Chicago without ornamentation and with as much information as possible. This synopsis does contain many plot spoilers. ACT I A Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience to a show about murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery. As he finishes the introduction Velma Kelly and the company sing ‘All That Jazz,’ while Roxie Hart invites Fred Casely into her home, assuring him that her husband is out. Velma and the company continue the song, as Roxie and Fred continue to the bedroom where it is implied that they have sex. When it is over, Fred goes to leave and Roxie asks if it is final. Fred confirms that it is and Roxie reveals a gun. She shoots him twice, killing him, and runs off. Hours later Amos, Roxie’s husband, is seated on the bed, as Sergeant Fogarty stands over him. Amos is claiming to have killed Fred because he was a burglar. The Sergeant goes to check out another room, and the Master of Ceremonies introduces Roxie’s first number about Amos’s devotion to her. As she sings the Sergeant reenters and Amos claims that he caught a burglar sneaking into the bedroom while Roxie slept. The Sergeant begins to examine the body, revealing Fred Casely’s name to Amos. Amos realizes that they bought their furniture from Casely, and wonders how he could have been the burglar. The Sergeant begins to question Amos more and as Roxie continues to sing, it is revealed that Fred was dead when Amos arrived home. He thought he could take the blame to protect Roxie, but realizes now he is being two-timed. Roxie’s song ends and she enters the scene. She is angry at Amos for not taking the blame and confesses to shooting Fred because he was trying to walk out on her. The Sergeant reveals that she could be hanged for such a crime. As the scene ends, Roxie begins to pray. The Master of Ceremonies introduces Velma and the five other murderesses of the Cook Country jail for a rendition of the Cell Block Tango. Liz, Annie, June, Hunyak, Mona, and Velma sing about the
murders they are accused of, how their victims had it coming and had only themselves to blame. Each stops singing to tell their story. Liz shot Bernie when his gum popping annoyed her after a bad day. Annie poisoned Ezekial, her live in boyfriend, when she found out that he was not single, but married to six women. June stabbed her husband Wilbur when he accused her of cheating on him with a milkman. Hunyak does not speak much English, but claims that she is not guilty. Velma and her sister used to do a double act, and her husband Charlie traveled with them. Velma blacked out, and when she came to, she was washing blood off her hands. Finally, Mona murdered Alvin Lipschitz because he cheated on her. As the song ends, the Master of Ceremonies introduces the Mistress of Murder’s row, Matron Mama Morton. Mama begins to sing about her love of the inmates. She is willing to help them out, if they are willing to help her in return. Velma shows Mama the publicity in the papers about her crime, and it is implied that Mama arranged for the interest. She tells Velma about her trial date, and tells her that when she is acquitted they can arrange a high-earning vaudeville tour. Velma has a few things in mind, but she knows Mama’s help will cost her and she pays. As Velma leaves, Mama finishes her song. Roxie and the rest of the murderesses are sitting in their cells, when Velma re-enters. Roxie is excited to meet Velma because she had been following Velma’s story in the newspaper. The district attorney is prepared to ask for the maximum penalty on Roxie’s murder case and she is feeling nervous and wants to ask Velma for help. Velma does not offer any advice, but Mama does want to help. She tells Roxie that the reason for murder is not important, but the grounds are. Velma claims her grounds are that she did not do it because she passed out and can’t remember. They advise Roxie to talk to her lawyer, but she does not have one and begins to pray. Velma has no sympathy and leaves. Mama tells Roxie about all the services Velma pays for. She has the best criminal lawyer, Billy Flynn, who has never lost a case. Mama can help Roxie get representation from Billy Flynn, for a hefty price. Roxie wonders how she will be able to afford his help. Amos and Roxie appear in the visitor’s area of the jail. Roxie is glad Amos has come and promises to make it up to him when she gets out of jail, she just needs five thousand dollars to hire a good lawyer. Amos is skeptical, but Roxie says she still loves him and Amos agrees to get her the money. The Master of Ceremonies presents Billy Flynn as the girls sing about wanting Billy. Billy sings that all he cares about is love, not just physical love, but love of justice and helping those in need. The girls exit the scene and Billy enters his office where Amos is waiting. Amos has only been able to raise two thousand dollars of the money needed to hire Billy. Billy accuses Amos of lying about his ability to get the money, but says he will still take Roxie’s case. First he will get Roxie the kind of publicity Velma has had, then he will hold an auction of her things to raise the rest of the money. The scene shifts to the jail where Billy is telling Roxie about an upcoming press conference. Roxie is nervous, so Billy tells her about Mary Sunshine, a reporter who is likely to fall for their tale. Mary Sunshine enters and sings about how she sees the good in everyone. As Mary exits, Billy tells Roxie how to get sympathy from the press. He plans to paint her as an innocent girl whose got swept into a runaway marriage after the death of her parents and is not caught up in the mad whirl of a great city. Roxie should act sorry about the murder and claim that she had been threatened with death, and that both she and Fred had reached for the gun. Like a ventriloquist, Billy leads Roxie through the press conference. The reports believe the story, that the murder was in self-defense. Roxie is reading a headline that says, “Roxie Rocks Chicago.” She has always wanted to be in the paper and to be a vaudeville dancer. She had been turned down often until she met Amos, who was sweet and safe. Even so, Roxie began to cheat on Amos. Now she thinks that with all the publicity, she
can still pursue her vaudeville dreams if she gets out of jail. She thinks she will be a big celebrity. Mama is reading the news when Velma enters. Velma is jealous of the attention Roxie is getting. Mama tells Velma that her tour has been canceled because her name hasn’t been in the papers lately and the talent agents have lost interest. Velma thinks she can the tour back on track if she convinces Roxie to do a sister act with her. Velma tells Roxie about how successful her sister act was before her real sister died. She thinks Roxie could fill in easily. Roxie denies the idea, remember how Velma did not help her when she asked for advice. Roxie thinks she can be a big star on her own. Mama tells a story of Kitty, a heiress who catches who boyfriend in bed with two other women, and kills them all. Billy and Kitty stand before the press, but Kitty is not cooperating with Billy. Roxie tries to get the attention of Mary Sunshine, but she is more interested in Kitty than Roxie. Mama leads Kitty away, while Roxie gets Billy attention. He is distracted by the Kitty case and brushes Roxie aside. Velma approaches him, but he also brushes her off. Both Roxie and Velma now feel nervous about their own cases. Both begin to sing about being their own best friends. As the song ends Roxie faints and then weakly tells that crowd of reporters that she is pregnant. Suddenly all attention is on her, and she is loving it. ACT II As the Act begins, Billy, Velma, and the reporters are waiting for news of Roxie, who is being examined by a doctor. The doctor confirms that Roxie is pregnant. He tells Billy that he will swear to that statement in court. Billy is pleased, but suggests that the doctor button his fly. Velma sings about Roxie having all the luck. As Velma leaves, Roxie begins to sing about her baby. Roxie continues to sing, as Mary Sunshine urges Billy to have Roxie’s trial date moved up. Amos appears claiming to be the baby’s father and Billy gets an idea. He will have Amos divorce Roxie, to win her even more sympathy. Amos is still claiming to be the father, but no one is paying any attention to him. He sings about being invisible like cellophane, as the scene shifts back to Billy’s office. Billy tells Amos that he couldn’t possibly be the father of the baby, but that he wants Amos to be involved anyway. Amos calculates the baby’s due date and decides Billy is right. Billy says Amos couldn’t possibly leave Roxie now, but Amos decides that he will divorce her. He thinks Roxie won’t even notice and he continues his song. Mama, Velma, and the some of the other murderesses play poker. All are cheating. Billy enters, looking for Roxie. Velma is glad to see Billy because her trial date is only a few weeks away. Billy reveals that her trial date has been set back a month because Roxie will be taking her old date. Velma then tells Billy about her plans for the witness stand. Roxie enters amid the description and tells Velma that she thinks her plan stinks. Velma exits and Billy tells Roxie that he succeeded in getting Amos to file for divorce. Roxie is not that interested, but Billy tells her that he will get Amos to admit that he made a terrible mistake when he is on the stand. Roxie doesn’t think she needs Billy’s advice because he treats her like a common criminal, even though she has come up with some good ideas. She fires Billy, and thinks that any lawyer would be happy to have her case. Billy warns her that in a few weeks no one will remember her. Hunyak becomes the first woman in 47 years to be hanged in Cook County. Roxie appears, arguing with Billy about what to wear for her trial. Billy reminds her that when he took her back as a client after Hunyak’s hanging that she agreed to do whatever he said. They continue to argue about what Roxie will say on the stand when the judge arrives and they must go to the trial. Billy reassures Roxie not to
worry and begins to sing about bringing Razzle Dazzle to the courtroom. Roxie is introduced in the court room. Amos is being sworn in by a clerk. The prosecutor shows Amos the confession that Roxie gave the Sergeant and Amos confirms that it was Roxie’s. Billy approaches the stand, and questions Amos about his reason for divorcing Roxie. When Amos suggests that he was not the father of the baby, Billy accuses Amos of jumping to conclusions because Roxie swore he was the father of the baby. Amos steps down and Roxie is called to the stand. Billy asks her about her involvement with Fred. She admits to the affair because she was unhappy at home. She says wanted to end the affair, but Fred would not let her. She claims that Fred came to house late one night, even after she ended the affair. She says that she told him to leave, but he followed her to the bedroom. When she told him about the baby, he said he would kill her before she could have another man’s child and lunged at her. The both reached for the gun, but Roxie grabbed it first. When Fred came at her again, she shot him to save her husband’s unborn child. Velma and Mama sit in the jail, listening to Mary Sunshine narrate Roxie’s trial on the radio. Roxie is doing everything that Velma had told Billy she wanted to do during her trial. Velma is angry that Roxie has stolen so much from her. Mama asks what she was expecting, and Velma and Mama sing about the disappearance of class. Back in the courtroom for the final day of Roxie’s trial, Mary Sunshine introduces Billy to give his final speech. He does not deny that Roxie killed Fred, but he reviews her story and claims it was in selfdefense. He urges the jury to give her a second chance because things are not always what they seem. When he is finished he walks over to Mary Sunshine and removes her wig and dress to reveal a man. Later the jury is prepared to give their verdict when a gun is fired off stage, covering the verdict announcement. A reporter says that a woman shot her husband, his mother, and the defense attorney during a divorce proceeding. Everyone leaves to see the action, as Roxie runs after them exclaiming that she is the famous Roxie Hart, and don’t they want her picture? She is baffled to be ignored and wonders what happened. Billy says that what happened was they found out she was not guilty. Roxie was counting on the reporters to be interested in her. Billy notes that her gratitude is underwhelming and exits, as Amos enters. He would like Roxie to come home and raise the baby with him. Roxie is shocked, and tells him that there is no baby. She is more concerned that the press is not interested in her, so Amos leaves. The master of ceremonies appears to announce a new show, a double act featuring Roxie and Velma. After they are finished singing and dancing, Velma and Roxie thank the audience for believing in them during their trials.
