'Chicago' to arrive in Bloomington

Murder gets a glamorous and sexy makeover with Bob Fosse’s choreography.

“Chicago” will give audiences a taste of old-time Broadway.

The IU Auditorium will present the award-winning musical Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Tickets range from $20 to $41 for students and $38 to $62 for the general public.

The musical centers on Roxie Hart, a wannabe nightclub star who shoots the man with whom she is having an affair when he tries to walk out on her.

If convicted of murder in Chicago, Roxie would be hanged.

She hires the best and sleaziest lawyer in town to help her win the affection of the public and keep her neck out of the noose.

Roxie has to contend with rival Velma Kelly, a successful singer and dancer who is facing conviction for killing her husband and sister after discovering their affair.

The two compete for media attention and scandalous headlines as they sing and dance through the prison and the courthouse, with plenty of backstabbing along the way.

“The show is about sex and power and the pursuit of fame,” said actress Tracy Shayne, who will play Roxie.

Shayne has performed in “Chicago” on and off for about 10 years. She said some of her favorite numbers are “Mr. Cellophane” and “Cell Block Tango.”

This will be her first time performing at a university. Shayne said she looks forward to the performance because she thinks the show will register with a younger audience.

“Opportunity knocks, I get a chance to kill somebody and then I get to try stardom,” Shayne said. “You see that in the paper every day.”

“Chicago” won six Tony Awards in 1997, including Best Musical Revival.

The musical was awarded a Grammy for Best Musical Cast Recording.

It is the longest-running American musical in Broadway history and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 2002.

Auditorium director Doug Booher called the show “an incredible piece of Broadway magic,” according to the press release.

“‘Chicago’ is irresistible,” Booher said.

Shayne said she thinks audiences will love the musical.

“They can expect to see a very sexy show about real life,” she said.

— Mina Asayesh-Brown