About the Show
Book by Fred Ebb & Bob Fosse
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the Play by Maurine Dallas Watkins
Script Adaptation by David Thompson
Direction & Choreography by Jauné Buisson
June 18th–21st
This summer we’ll “give ‘em the ol’ Razzle Dazzle”. In Chicago, the 1975 Kander & Ebb spectacle, salacious true crime runs amok, and, to quote Cole Porter, “good’s bad,” “black’s white,” and “day’s night.” However, one could argue that the joke is on us, as we look around incredulously at today’s political theatre. The show, studded with iconic songs like “All that Jazz,” “When You’re Good to Mama,” and, yes, “Razzle-Dazzle,” is a fast-paced rollick through a hall of smoke and mirrors. Don’t miss it!
Buy Single Tickets Today -or- Save up to 20% with Season Tickets
Meet the Director & Choreographer
Jauné Buisson directed and choreographed A Chorus Line at Summer Lyric Theatre, where her choreography credits include Anything Goes, Ragtime, Hairspray, Hello, Dolly!, and Fiddler on the Roof. Onstage at SLT, she appeared as Cassie in A Chorus Line, Tessie Tura in Gypsy, Lois in Kiss Me, Kate, and Fastrada in Pippin. She also directed and choreographed Jersey Boys, Beautiful, and Guys and Dolls at Le Petit Théâtre. She is the Artistic Director of Metropolitan Dance Theatre of New Orleans. First production with SLT in 2001.
Meet The Musical Director & Conductor
Roger Grodsky is thrilled to be back at SLT and to work with Jauné, the cast, and orchestra. At SLT, he conducted Mame, The Music Man, A Little Night Music, Into the Woods, and Little Shop of Horrors, among others. Roger recently retired from CCM in Cincinnati, where he served as a professor of Musical Theatre for 25 years. First production with SLT in 2010.
Meet The Artistic Director
C. Leonard Raybon is Artistic Director of Summer Lyric Theatre, Associate Professor of Music, and Director of Choirs at Tulane University. Raybon is the founder of Sacred Nine Project, where he engages with music, texts, and events from an earlier America in order to help shape a future one. Sacred Nine events take the form of what he calls “Amerimusicals,” for which he writes the music and much of the libretto. Most recently, he created a cantata for Swarthmore College, inspired by Murder in a Mill Town, by Bruce Dorsey, and in June will provide non-traditional salon at Pittsburgh’s The Woods House, frequented by Stephen Foster. The presentation grapples with the troubled legacy of Foster in the American theatre scene. Raybon’s “The Busy Bee” is published by Santa Barbara, and he has a piece upcoming with GIA Publications this fall. Raybon also hosts the Sacred Nine Project Podcast. First production with SLT was in 1996.
Meet the Designers & Cast
Meet the designers and cast for Summer Lyric Theatre’s 2026 productions.
History & Fun Facts
- Chicago is the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.
- The show is based on a 1926 play by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, inspired by real-life Chicago murder trials.
- Its signature style—minimal sets, black costumes, and jazz-band-on-stage—was revolutionary when the revival opened in 1996.
- The music was composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb, one of Broadway’s most iconic songwriting duos.
- The 1996 revival almost didn’t happen—it was originally staged as a one-night concert-style performance.
- Chicago has won 6 Tony Awards, including Best Musical for its revival.
- The 2002 film adaptation won 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
- Many famous performers—including Melanie Griffith, Brandy, Usher, and Pamela Anderson—have starred in the show.
- The roles of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly are often cast as star vehicles, making celebrity stunt casting a tradition.
- Popular songs like “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango” have become Broadway classics recognized even outside theater circles.
