AS “VELMA KELLY” MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2025 – SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026

NOW CELEBRATING 29 YEARS ON BROADWAY 

Robyn Hurder as Velma Kelly. Photo courtesy of Chicago, The Musical.

NEW YORK—Broadway’s record-breaking hit musical Chicago has just announced that Tony Award nominee Robyn Hurder (Smash, A Beautiful Noise, Moulin Rouge! The Musical) will return to the cell block as “Velma Kelly” beginning Monday, December 15, 2025 through Sunday, January 11, 2026 at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St., NYC). Chicago is Broadway’s longest-running American musical in Broadway history. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com.

Robyn Hurder’s Broadway & regional credits

Robyn Hurder: Broadway: Smash (Ivy Lynn) *Drama League Nom, Chita Award, Moulin Rouge, The Musical (Nini) *Tony Nominee, Chita Award Nominee, A Beautiful Noise (Marcia Murphey) *Drama Desk Nominee, Chita Award, Nice Work If You Can Get It (Jeannie Muldoon), Grease (Marty) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Violet). NYCC/ Encores: 75th Anniversary Gala Production of A Chorus Line (Cassie), The New Yorkers (Lola McGee), Paint Your Wagon (Cherry Jourdell). National Tours:  A Chorus Line (Cassie), Starlight Express (Pearl). Selected Regional: Ogunquit Playhouse: High Society (Tracy Lord), 5th Avenue Theatre: Kiss Me Kate (Lois/Bianca) Drury Lane: Crazy For You (Polly Baker), Shakespeare Theatre Company: Kiss Me Kate (Lois/Bianca) *Helen Hayes Award, Film/TV: “The Equalizer” (CBS), “Fosse/Verdon” (FX) Management: The Rosenzweig Group.

About Chicago 

With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history.

The current cast of Chicago features Kate Baldwin as Roxie Hart, Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Tam Mutu as Billy Flynn, Alex Newell as Matron “Mama” Morton, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine. The cast also includes Zach Bravo, David Bushman, Max Clayton, Jennifer Dunne, Jessica Ernest, Arian Keddell, James T. Lane, Marty Lawson, Joseph London, Barrett Martin, Sharon Moore, Drew Nellessen, Celina Nightengale, Kristen Faith Oei, Denny Paschall, Mikayla Renfrow, Sean Samuels, Samantha Sturm.

Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.

Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, Chicago features set design by Tony Award winner John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award winner Ken Billington, sound design by Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer, casting by ARC/Duncan Stewart, CSA & Patrick Maravilla, CSA and Executive Producer Alecia Parker.

The classic story of Chicago

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Mondays at 7pm, Tuesdays at 7pm, Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2:30pm & 8pm, Sundays at 2pm & 7pm.

Added Holiday performances Wed 11/26 @ 7pm, Friday 11/28 @ 2:30pm, Tues 12/30 @ 2pm, Friday 01/02 @ 2:30pm.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are available in person at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W 49^th St). Box office hours are Monday through Saturday 10am-8:30pm, Sunday 12pm-7:30pm. Tickets are also available at ChicagoTheMusical.com.

www.ChicagoTheMusical.com

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AT THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE

ON MONDAY, MARCH 20^th at 1:30PM ET

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

NEW YORK—A celebration of the life of famed choreographer and performer Ann Reinking will take place March 20^th at 1:30PM ET at Broadway’s Ambassador Theatre. Ann passed away on December 12, 2020.

Organized by Bebe Neuwirth, Caitlin Carter and Ann’s husband Peter Talbert, the memorial is open to the public. Participants scheduled to pay tribute include James Naughton, Dylis Croman, Rob Fisher, Bebe Neuwirth and Ben Vereen.

ANN REINKING

One of seven children, Ann Reinking grew up in Seattle, Washington where she studied ballet with Ballet Russe dancers Marian and Illyria Ladre, and earned scholarships to San Francisco Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. Upon completing high school, she moved to New York City where her first job was with the Corps de Ballet at Radio City Music Hall. Ann went on to Broadway, films and television, earning numerous accolades for her work as a dancer, singer, actor and choreographer.

During her career, Ann Reinking was nominated for four Tony Awards in four different categories: Best Actress in a Musical (Good Time Charley), Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Dancin’), Best Direction of a Musical (Fosse) and Best Choreography (Chicago). She won the Tony for her choreography of the 1996 revival production of Chicago, as well as the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Astaire and New York Drama Critics Awards.

Broadway legend Ann Reinking in 1981. Photo by Jack Mitchell/Wikimedia Commons.

Reinking’s notable Broadway credits include Cabaret, Coco, Pippin, A Chorus Line, Sweet Charity, Chicago (both the original 1975 production as well as the 1996 revival), Fosse and her debut in Over Here! for which she received the Theatre World, Clarence Derwent and Outer Critics Circle awards. On film, she starred in Movie, Movie, All that Jazz, Micki and Maude, and as Grace Farrell in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie. She produced two award-winning documentaries: Two Worlds-One Planet about high functioning autism and In My Hands about Marfan Syndrome.

Reinking choreographed for American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispanico, Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Seattle Spectrum Dance Theater, Kansas City Ballet, “Bye Bye Birdie” for ABC-TV, City Center’s Encores!, Signature Theater, The Goodman Theater and Thodos Dance Chicago.

She was the recipient of the National Broadway Theater Arts Award, Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement, Musical Hall of Fame Award, Dance Magazine Award, Dance Library of Israel/Distinguished Artist Award, Governor’s Award-Ambassador of The Arts for the State of Florida, and an Honorary Doctorate from Florida State University.

Inset photo (top, center): Courtesy of Boneau/Bryan-Brown.

The post Ann Reinking public memorial 3/20/23 at 1:30pm appeared first on StageZine.