The Broadway revival of
Chicago celebrated its 10th anniversary with a bang on Tuesday, November 14. Over 30 alumni — including Ashlee Simpson, Charlotte d’Amboise, James Naughton, and Huey Lewis — came back to perform the musical as a one-night only benefit for Safe Horizon, raising more than $1.2 million dollars for that very important organization. In the afternoon, there was a dress rehearsal attended by the press and such Tony Award winners as Christine Ebersole, Jane Krakowski, Kathleen Marshall, Priscilla Lopez, and David Zippel. Here are photos of some of the rehearsal’s most amazing and historic moments, followed by some pix from the party that followed the actual performance.
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The best came first as the legendary Chita Rivera, who starred as Velma Kelly in the show’s original Broadway production in 1975, got a standing ovation for her sizzling performance of the opening number, “All That Jazz.”
Double your pleasure, double your fun: Carol Woods and Roz Ryan happily shared the stage for the rousing “When You’re Good to Mama.”
Brooke Shields proved she’s no dummy by joining Brent Barrett for a brilliant performance of “We Both Reached for the Gun.”
Karen Ziemba and Ruthie Henshall brought the first act to a thrilling close with “My Own Best Friend.”
Joel Grey, the original Amos Hart, gave a heart-wrenching rendition of “Mr. Cellophane.”
Former Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson was the first of a multitude of Billy Flynns to hit the stage in the “Razzle Dazzle” number.
The revival’s original Mama Morton, Marcia Lewis Bryan, made a rare return to Broadway to join Mamie Duncan-Gibbs in the hilarious “Class.”
Last, but not least, the revival’s original Velma and Roxie, Bebe Neuwrith and Ann Reinking (who also choreographed the show), were still great in the “Nowadays” finale.
After the evening’s performance, the stars partied over at New World Stages. Here, Rivera catches up with her Nine co-star Antonio Banderas and his lovely missus, Melanie Griffith, who wowed the crowd with her performance of “Roxie.”
The talented Rita Wilson, who was a box-office hit in Chicago earlier this year, came back to sing part of Roxie’s first-act lament, “Funny Honey.”
Marilu Henner, who shared “Funny Honey” with Wilson, is seen here with John O’Hurley — the final Billy Flynn to appear on stage in the benefit.
One-time Wonder Woman Lynda Carter handled her book scenes as Mama Morton with aplomb.
Two more of the evening’s Billy Flynns were the irrepressible Wayne Brady, who sang part of “Razzle Dazzle”…
…and the still-handsome Gregory Harrison, who played the silver-tongued lawyer in the show’s pivotal trial scene.
We leave you with this shot of the two people who made not just yesterday’s performance but the last 10 years of Chicago possible: the revival’s producers, Fran and Barry Weissler.
