Broadway's Chicago Presents Special ¡Viva Broadway! Night October 18 | Playbill

Broadway News Broadway's Chicago Presents Special ¡Viva Broadway! Night October 18 Portions of the long-running production, now starring Ana Villafañe, Bianca Marroquín, and Paulo Szot, will be presented in Spanish.
Ana Villafañe, Bianca Marroquín, and company in Chicago Julieta Cervantes

The Tony-winning revival of Chicago, which reopened its doors September 14, has joined forces with the Broadway League to present a ¡Viva Broadway! night—celebrating Hispanic and Latino theatre makers and audiences—October 18 at the Ambassador Theatre.

Portions of the evening performance of the long-running production, which is celebrating 25 years on Broadway, will be performed in Spanish. The company is currently led by a trio of Latin leads: Ana Villafañe as Roxie Hart, Bianca Marroquín as Velma Kelly, and Tony winner Paulo Szot as Billy Flynn.

¡Viva Broadway! is an audience development initiative of The Broadway League, with a long-term aim to celebrate Latino talent and increase awareness of and engagement with Broadway. Marroquín is an ambassador of the program alongside Gloria Estefan; Luis Miranda serves as the advisory board chair.

Discount tickets for the special performance are available here. (Use code VIVA25.)

READ: ¡Viva Broadway! Hear Our Voices Raises Over $189K for Broadway Cares, R.Evolución Latina, and Broadway Bridges

The current cast also features Tony winner Lillias White as Matron Mama Morton, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart, and Ryan Lowe as Mary Sunshine.

The revival of Chicago began life as one of the three annual Encores! presentations offered by New York City Center. The musical opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in November 1996, where it remained through February 1997. The musical transferred to the Shubert Theatre, and played that house through January 26, 2003. The revival reopened at the Ambassador Theatre January 29 that year.

It is now the second-longest running show in Broadway history (after The Phantom of the Opera).

READ: How the Chicago Costumes Have Evolved Over 25 Years

With a book by the late Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Ebb, Chicago features direction by Walter Bobbie, choreography by the late Ann Reinking, set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer, and casting by Stewart/Whitley.

The current production, produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Bobbie, lighting designer Billington, and Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Bob Fosse.

Check Out Photos of Chicago’s Broadway Return at the Ambassador Theatre

(Updated October 18, 2021)
 
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