Actors - Chicago

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	Actors - Chicago

Chicago is a movie adaptation, released in 2002, of the musical Chicago, about celebrity and money in Jazz age 1920s Chicago. It won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film was released December 27, 2002 and runs 113 minutes.

Synopsis

Velma Kelly is a nightclub star whose celebrity is only increased by her double murder of her adulterous husband and her sister. Roxie Hart is a nobody who dreams of the fame and wealth of a singing career. When she shoots her abusive lover, who lied about his ability to get her a job as a performer, she is sent to murderess' row. There she meets Velma Kelly. Facing death row, Roxie hires Billy Flynn, Chicago's best lawyer, who promises to turn her case into a celebrity murder trial and get her acquitted. Flynn and Roxie manipulate the press and the public and Roxie becomes famous. When Billy recognizes Roxie's potential, Roxie and Velma become locked in a rivalry to outdo each other in stardom.

The show was inspired by the musical Chicago, originally staged on Broadway in 1975. The original production was not especially well-received by audiences who were not prepared for the show's cynical tone. The minimalist 1996 revival enjoyed a great deal more success, however: it has toured the world and is still running in London's West End and on Broadway. The influences of both productions can be seen in the film version. The original production's musical numbers were staged as vaudeville acts, which presented some problems when transferring from stage to screen. The movie version allowed the vaudeville scenes to happen by transferring the musical numbers to an imaginary stage in Roxie's fantasies, while keeping the pared-down flavour of the revival production.

Cast and characters

The movie stars Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart, a nobody in the big city dreaming of stardom and willing to do anything to get it. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, a Chicago staple, a singing and dancing sensation and half of the duo The Kelly Sisters and Roxie's idol. Richard Gere as Billy Flynn, a big-shot lawyer who does not care of his clients' guilt or innocence, only whether they have the money to afford his services. John C. Reilly as Amos Hart, Roxie's naive, hard-working, albeit boring spouse. Queen Latifah as Matron 'Mama' Morton, matron of Cook County Jail. Morton's philosophy is 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.' And Christine Baranski as Mary Sunshine, the personification of the sensationalist news media.

All principal actors did their own singing and dancing in the film. Zeta-Jones and Latifah previously had professional music careers and Reilly, Zeta-Jones and Baranski had had musical theater experience. Gere was the most experienced actor of the leading cast, and needed only minimal rehearsal. He did, however, require tap dance instruction before shooting his courtroom tap dance routine. Zellweger had never danced professionally but sang in the 1994 movie Shake, rattle and rock!.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Chicago won six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Best Editing (Martin Walsh), Best Art Direction (John Myhre), Best Costume Design (Colleen Atwood), and Best Sound (Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella and David Lee)

It was nominated for seven others: Best Director (Rob Marshall), Best Actress (Renée Zellweger), Best Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly), Best Supporting Actress (Queen Latifah), Best Cinematography (Dion Beebe), Best Song ("I Move On" by John Kander and Fred Ebb), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Bill Condon).

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Actors - Chicago

Synopsis

Cast and characters

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

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