Chicago is the longest running Broadway musical ever to play in London’s West End. The show is a worldwide phenomenon that has captivated over 18 million people. From its stunning Fosse-style choreography, to its central concept of the ‘celebrity criminal’ and its themes of corruption and justice, audiences have been thrilled by the story of vaudeville star Velma Kelly, chorus girl Roxie Hart and top Chicago lawyer Billy Flynn.
Chicago opened in London on 18 November 1997, a year after its triumphant Broadway revival. It retained the ‘Brechtian’-style of staging that Bob Fosse had developed in the original, breaking down the ‘fourth wall’ and reinforcing the parallels between the story of the show and contemporary society.
These parallels, the concepts and themes of the show, provide a wealth of opportunity for follow-up classroom activity. This pack is aimed at teachers across the curriculum. It contains activities suitable for students of Dance, Drama, Art & Design, Photography, Music, Media Studies, English, ICT, PSHCE and Citizenship, from KS3 to KS5, including some of the specialist units of BTEC Performing Arts courses and the new Creative and Media Diploma.
We hope that this pack will be just a starting point for your students’ work and that you will feel inspired to explore with them the magic that is Chicago.
