Chicago the Musical Dances Into Its Thirtieth Year on Broadway
A dance-driven Broadway musical in its thirtieth year, where the seat zone you book decides your stairs.
CHICAGO opened its Broadway revival in 1996. It is now in its thirtieth year at the Ambassador Theatre on West 49th Street, the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and the thing holding it up is the dancing.
The staging stays deliberately spare. Black costumes, a bare deck, hard side light, and an ensemble that carries the whole evening on movement Ann Reinking choreographed in the style of Bob Fosse. Velma and Roxie work a story of crime, fame, and press coverage, and the songs land as nightclub numbers. All That Jazz. Razzle Dazzle. Class.
The show runs about two hours and thirty minutes, including one fifteen-minute intermission. Doors open forty-five minutes before curtain.
Seats here are sold by zone. You pick the zone, the theatre assigns a seat inside it, and the exact row and seat number print on the ticket.
That choice carries more weight at the Ambassador than at most houses. There is no elevator to the upper level, and mezzanine seats sit roughly thirty-four steps up from the theatre entrance. Ushers work the staircases on both sides. Wheelchair seating is on the Orchestra level.
Chicago on Broadway TicketPick a seat zone and the theatre assigns your row. Taxes, fees, and handling charges are included.www.viator.comWhat the Evening Actually Looks Like
The house lights drop and the company arrives in a line. From there the night runs as a sequence of numbers, and the ensemble stays on stage for most of it.
Costumes stay black throughout. Lighting does the scene changes. Nothing on stage competes with the dancers, which is why sightlines matter here more than set detail.
The band plays where you can see it. The musicians sit on a tiered bandstand at centre stage for the whole show, in the place most productions fill with scenery, while the pit below the stage stays empty.
The story is an adult one told lightly. The production recommends thirteen years or older.
Choosing Your Seat Zone
The booking page sells zones, and the seat number comes later. Orchestra, Front Mezzanine, and Rear Mezzanine each come in centre, side, and far-side variants, split further by row range.
- Orchestra puts you level with the dancers' feet, which is where the choreography reads.
- Front Mezzanine gives you the full stage picture and the ensemble formations.
- Rear Mezzanine sits furthest back and highest up.
Restrooms on the mezzanine level add roughly twenty-six more steps. If stairs are a factor, the Orchestra is the zone to look at first.
Getting Your Ticket and Getting In
The ticket arrives as a link by email from Broadway Inbound. Delivery can come as late as two weeks before the performance, so booking early does not mean holding a ticket early. Fraud screening is the reason for the wait.
Open the link at the theatre and show the ticket on your phone. Each barcode admits one entry.
- Everyone entering needs a ticket, children included.
- Children under four are not admitted.
- The listing asks for government photo identification from guests eighteen and over. The show's FAQ, Broadway Inbound's Chicago page and the theatre's page carry no such rule. Bring ID anyway and the question never comes up.
Accessible seating runs through a phone line. Call 888-651-9785 to check availability before you complete a booking.
Before the Curtain
The house asks you to be seated fifteen minutes before curtain. Latecomers wait for a pause in the performance, and theatre staff decide when that pause comes.
There is no dress code. The theatre is air-conditioned year round. Concession stands run on every level and you can pre-order intermission drinks before the show starts, though only bottled water is allowed at your seat.
Phones go off before the start. New York law requires it.
Free sound-augmentation headsets are available at the theatre, with photo identification held as a deposit.
Four subway lines land within a block or two: C or E to 50th Street and 8th Avenue, 1 to 50th Street and Broadway, N, R, or W to 49th Street and 7th Avenue, and B, D, F, or M to 47th to 50th Streets and 6th Avenue.
Sales through this listing are final, so settle the date before you book. If the show itself cancels a performance, Broadway Inbound says it will contact you and help arrange tickets to another show or a refund.
Two and a half hours later you are back out on West 49th Street, one block from Eighth Avenue, with the rest of the night still ahead of you.