All that Jazz: musical blockbuster ‘Chicago’ is coming to Dubai Opera

The popular production will run for 10 days in 2022

Bianca Marroquin stars as Roxie Hart in Broadway's musical 'Chicago'. Jeremey Daniel

The smash-hit musical Chicago is coming to Dubai Opera next year.

The enduring story of love and deceit, set within the razzle-dazzle world of 1920s Chicago, will be performed at the Dubai Downtown venue from January 5-8 and January 10-15.

Tickets from Dh295 are available at the Dubai Opera box office and online.

The production is led by Faye Brooks, formerly a cast member of UK soap opera Coronation Street, and seasoned West End actors Darren Day and Djalenga Scott.

The announcement comes on the back of the successful staging of Mamma Mia!, which ends its run at Dubai Opera on Saturday.

A tale of celebrity and crime

Chicago follows the fortunes of Roxie Hart, a club dancer who murders her lover after threatening to end the relationship.

To avoid conviction, Hart hires flamboyant and slick lawyer William "Billy" Flynn, and the case becomes the talk of the city.

Created by theatre stalwarts John Kander and Fred Ebb, with choreography by Bob Fosse, Chicago premiered in New York in 1975 and ran for two years, before being revived in 1996.

It went on to become a mainstay of the city’s Broadway district and London’s West End.

A lot of its appeal comes down to its catchy tunes, such as Razzle Dazzle, Cell Block and All that Jazz.

In addition to being performed in various languages including German, French, Italian and Japanese, Chicago was also immortalised on the big screen in 2002.

Directed by Mary Poppins Returns' Rob Marshall and starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, the film won six Academy Awards in 2003, including Best Picture.

The latter achievement made Chicago the first musical to win that Oscar since Oliver! in 1968.

Another musical on the way

Chicago is set to be a showstopper next year, but fans of lavish musicals won't have to wait that long to satisfy their cravings.

From Thursday to Saturday, October 21 to 23, Dubai Opera will stage Devdas – The Musical.

Based on the 2002 film starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and featuring a heartrending score by Ismail Darbar, the plot follows the fates of Devdas and Paro, star-crossed lovers whose lives are affected by seemingly endless obstacles.

Tickets for Devdas – The Musical from Dh275 are available at dubaiopera.com