‘Chicago’ Celebrates 20 Years on Broadway With Series of Events and Initiatives

The Tony-winning revival of “Chicago” will mark its 20th anniversary on Broadway this November at the Ambassador Theatre, and have planned a series of events and initiatives to celebrate.

The festivities will include a one-night-only concert performance on August 31 in Central Park that's free to the public. The evening will be presented as part of SummerStage -- City Parks Foundation’s annual free performing arts festival.

Meanwhile over at the Lincoln Center Festival, Japanese troupe Takarazuka will return to New York for the first time in over 25 years to perform an all-female, all-Japanese version of “Chicago” from July 20-24. It’ll be the first time in history that two identical productions of a musical in two different languages will be playing concurrently in New York.

The New York Public Library will also get in on the action, displaying materials from “Chicago” in an exhibit called Curtain Up!. Opening this October at the Library’s Performing Arts branch in Lincoln Center, the exhibit will also be met with public programs featuring original cast and creative team members.

Speaking of original cast members, Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, James Naughton and Joel Grey -- the revival’s four original leads -- are also taking part in the celebration, reuniting for a new advertising campaign.

And if that weren’t enough, William Ivey Long’s Tony-nominated costumes are being revised for the show too.

“Chicago” features music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, with direction from Tony-winner Walter Bobbie.