History Theatre / Chicago

* {{Trickster}}: Roxie and Billy Flynn.

--->'''June:''' Now, I'm standing in the kitchen carvin' up the chicken for dinner, minding my own business, and in storms my husband Wilbur, in a jealous rage. "[[CheatingWithTheMilkman You been screwin' the milkman]]!" he says. He was crazy. And he kept on screamin', "you been screwin' the milkman!" ''[drumbeat]'' [[TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch And then he ran into my knife! He ran into my knife ten times!]]

--->'''Velma:''' My sister, Veronica and I had this double act. And my husband, Charlie, travelled around with us. Now, for the last number in our act, we did these 20 acrobatic tricks in a row. One, two, three, four, five... splits, spread eagles, back flips, flip flops, one right after the other. So this one night before the show we're down at the Hotel Cicero, the three of us, boozin', havin' a few laughs and we ran out of ice, so I go out to get some. I come back, open the door, and there's Veronica and Charlie doing Number Seventeen, the Spread Eagle. ''[drum beat]'' Well, I was in such a state of shock, I completely blacked out. I can't remember a thing. It wasn't until later, when I was washing [[TheseHandsHaveKilled the blood off my hands]], that I even knew they were dead.

* AmoralAttorney: Billy Flynn, who manages to acquit two murderers that we know of and likely dozens that we don't.

--->'''June:''' Now, I'm standing in the kitchen carvin' up the chicken for dinner, minding my own business, and in storms my husband Wilbur, in a jealous rage. "[[CheatingWithTheMilkman You been screwin' the milkman]]!" he says. He was crazy. And he kept on screamin', "you been screwin' the milkman!" ''[drumbeat]'' And then he ran into my knife! He ran into my knife ten times!

A biting satire of celebrity trials, the press and show business in general, ''Chicago'' had an extremely successful Broadway revival in 1996 that is still running to this day. From there, it was made into [[Film/{{Chicago}} a movie in 2002]]. The Broadway productions regularly star big names -- the original boasted Chita Rivera as Velma and Creator/JerryOrbach as Billy Flynn; the revival starred Creator/BebeNeuwirth as Velma (earning her her second Tony after winning one for another Fosse production ''Theatre/SweetCharity'')and Joel Grey as Amos, and since then has had tons of StuntCasting.

A biting satire of celebrity trials, the press and show business in general, ''Chicago'' had an extremely successful Broadway revival in 1996 that is still running to this day. From there, it was made into [[Film/{{Chicago}} a movie in 2002]]. The Broadway productions regularly star big names -- the original boasted Chita Rivera as Velma and Creator/JerryOrbach as Billy Flynn; the revival starred Creator/BebeNeuwirth as Velma and Joel Grey as Amos, and since then has had tons of StuntCasting.

* NoFourthWall: Three examples from this troper's experience;
** Mama Morton calls out to a number of audience members during the finale of "When You're Good to Mama."
** Billy Flynn refuses to end his big note until the audience applauds in "We Both Reached for The Gun"
** During "Roxie," this troper managed to draw a "Not yet" from Roxie by spurring the audience to applause during her AttentionWhore moment, particularly when she says she loves the audience for loving her.

A biting satire of celebrity trials, the press and show business in general, ''Chicago'' had an extremely successful Broadway revival in 1996. From there, it was made into [[Film/{{Chicago}} a movie in 2002]]. The Broadway productions regularly star big names -- the original boasted Chita Rivera as Velma and Creator/JerryOrbach as Billy Flynn; the revival starred Creator/BebeNeuwirth as Velma and Joel Grey as Amos, and since then has had tons of StuntCasting.

* To a lesser extent, "Roxie" for Roxie and "All That Jazz" for Velma

* DeathByWomanScorned: A recurring theme in "Cell Block Tango" -- Velma killed her husband and his lover (her own sister), Annie poisoned her boyfriend after finding out he was already married to six other women (One of those Mormons, you know), and Mona killed her boyfriend after finding out he had three other girlfriends and a boyfriend.

->''"Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to see a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery - all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts."''

* MadnessMantra: The refrain of "Cell Block Tango" - "Pop, six, squish, uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz..."

A biting satire of celebrity trials, the press and show business in general, ''Chicago'' had an extremely successful Broadway revival in 1996. From there, it was made into [[Film/{{Chicago}} a movie in 2002]]. The Broadway productions regularly star big names -- the original boasted Chita Rivera as Velma and [[Series/LawAndOrder Jerry Orbach]] as Billy Flynn; the revival starred Creator/BebeNeuwirth as Velma and Joel Grey as Amos, and since then has had tons of StuntCasting.

* GoshAndDarnItToHeck: Billy tells Roxie to invoke this and not swear during her press conference. She blows this immediately by talking about how she "shot the bastard".

* AdaptationalBadass: In the film, Amos isn't conned by Roxie into paying for Billy. He takes the initiative to do so, something that Billy lampshades: "Your devotion to your wife is very touching." The fact that this is badass shows how much of an ExtremeDoormat Amos is.

* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** Mama is fine with the murderesses bribing her to get their alcohol and hair products, but an innocent woman who can't speak English needs her help, without money.
** Billy honors his word to make sure that all of his clients get his best services. Even if it means engaging in a BatmanGambit to discredit the prosecutor and put one of his clients in hot water.

* GotMeDoingIt: When listening to Velma sing "I Can't Do It Alone," and performing it, film Roxie at first is bobbing along to the music. When Velma asks for her opinion, however, Roxie blows a raspberry.

* IGaveMyWord: Billy promises that anyone who pays him five thousand dollars will get his full services. Even though Amos only comes up with two thousand dollars, Billy takes Roxie's case on the pretense of being a "straight man" in the stage play, while in the film he claims he's touched by Amos's devotion to Roxie. (It's actually because he thinks Roxie's reputation will earn the rest of the money.) All of his clients in the play get off the hook.

* PoliceAreUseless: Subverted at the beginning of the play. The police cordially (in the film) interrogate Amos about what happened, while checking Fred Casely's wallet to identify him. Then when Amos reveals that it was Roxie who shot Fred Casely and lied to Amos, they immediately take Roxie into custody. Played straight for the rest of the film, since the police are up against Billy when testifying against Roxie.

* KarmaHoudini: Velma, Roxie, and Billy Flynn. Meanwhile, inverted in that Hunyak gets punished.

* GunStruggle: The entire plot involves Roxie Hart and her SmugSnake lawyer Billy Flynn trying to convince the jury that Roxy's shooting of her lover Fred Casley was this rather then murder. There is even a brief scene were such a struggle is recreated in court.

* GunStruggle: The entire plot involves Roxie Hart and her SmugSnake lawyer Billy Flynn, as scene in the page quote, trying to convince the jury that Roxy's shooting of her lover Fred Casley was this rather then murder. There is even a brief scene were such a struggle is recreated in court.

* [[IAmSong "I Am" Song]]: