Chicago

John Kander, Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse

David Ian for Crossroads Live and Michael Watt in association with Barry and Fran Weissler

Winter Gardens, Blackpool

July 21-26,2025; 2hrs 30mins

(also at Sunderland Empire August 4-9, Lowry Salford, August 25-30)

Janette Manrara as Roxie in Chicago at Blackpool WInter Gardens

A century ago, Chicago was enthralled by the cases of attractive young women accused of murder - two of which, in particular, captured the public imagination.

Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner were the prisoners who put the chic in Chicago. They exploited the sexist attitudes of the time to sway public opinion and generate sympathy, to help secure their release in spite of overwhelming evidence they were guilty.

Reporting on the cases was another young woman, Maurine Watkins, who went on to write an only-lightly-fictionalised account of the cases, which opened on Broadway in 1926. This inspired a couple of movies and, not long after her death, this musical by Kander and Ebb, which opened on Broadway in 1975.

These days, of course, and thanks to a revival in the mid-90s, the show has a new army of admirers, and this tour won't disappoint them. A near-full house in the huge Winter Gardens auditorium on opening night whooped and roared their appreciation after every number in this relentlessly energetic production.

Strictly star Janette Manrara gives a powerful but nuanced performance as Roxie Hart, opposite fellow-accused Velma Kelly - played flawlessly by Djalenga Scott.

The ever-reliable Darren Day returns to the role of attorney Billy Flynn, in which he impressed on tour a few years ago. His performance has just the right mix of ruthless cunning and humour, while Linda John-Pierre (Mama Morton) has one of the biggest and best voices to have boomed out from this famous stage in recent years.

The 10-strong orchestra, led superbly by musical director Neil MacDonald, is centre-stage throughout rather than hidden away in the pit, and drives the show brilliantly. This is two and a half hours of unabating energy, which really captures the excitement of the jazz era.

Even in a huge space such as the Winter Gardens, the orchestra’s stage on a stage limits the space for the action, but the set is minimal and the choreography spectacular.

Fifty years after it opened, Chicago The Musical is arguably more relevant than ever. The tabloid and social media fixation with celebrity and women’s physical appearance is greater than ever.

As Velma and Roxie sing, "In 50 years or so it’s going to change…" Well, yes and no...

More info and tickets here