THE fabulously sordid story of murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly is coming to Shenzhen again this summer. It will run from June 18 to June 22 at Shenzhen Poly Theater in Nanshan District.

Set in the titular city during Prohibition, “Chicago” is a pitch-black musical satire renowned for its scathing take on media bias and police corruption, plus Bob Fosse’s legendary choreography and the addictive jazzy score.

The show began life in 1926 as a play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, based on two real-life murder cases she covered while working as a journalist in Chicago. After Fosse acquired the rights to the play, he adapted it into the famed musical in 1975, working with composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb.

The show ran for about 600 performances until 1979. It was revived on Broadway in 1996, and then a year later in the West End in London. The famous tale of love, murder and corruption holds the record for one of the longest-running shows on Broadway.

Set in 1920s Chicago, and based on real-life murders and trials, it follows Roxie Hart, a wannabe vaudeville star who murders her lover and is arrested. In jail, Hart meets her hero, the famed nightclub performer Velma Kelly, who is serving time for killing her husband and sister after finding the two in bed together. When they both land the same lawyer, things become tense as the duo vie for the media spotlight.

Since 1996, the musical has toured 38 countries and has been performed more than 35,000 times, attracting some 34 million people. Honored with six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, and a Grammy, it made its Chinese debut in 2018.

The 2002 film adaptation, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere, won six Oscars including best picture.

Dates: June 18-22

Tickets: 180-1,080 yuan

Venue: Shenzhen Poly Theater, Nanshan District

Metro: Line 2, 11 or 13 to Houhai Station, Exit E(Debra Li)