By Rose Sopko

“Welcome ladies and gentlemen, you are about to see a story of murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery … all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts.” The stage version of the musical “Chicago” opens up with these words, and right there, you hear exactly what is coming.

“Chicago” has been playing on Broadway since 1996, with a slew of famous actors and actresses vying for the leading roles of Billy, Velma and Roxie.

With the recent success of the motion picture “Chicago,” starring Renee Zellwegger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, the musical is becoming more popular than ever.

The curtain opens, and instead of having a regular orchestra pit like most shows, the orchestra is on stage. The entire cast is scantily clad in all black, minus the suave lawyer Billy Flynn and Roxie’s frumpy husband Amos.

The audience is forced to focus on the extraordinary choreography of Bob Fosse, who has choreographed for numerous films and musicals including “The Pajama Game,” “Damn Yankees” and “Sweet Charity.” Because of the absence of elaborate sets and costumes, the audience is also forced to focus on the amazing singing.

The show opens with Velma’s show-stopping number, “All that Jazz,” as the basis for the musical is laid out when Roxie Hart kills her lover, Fred Casely.

The show follows Roxie and Velma as they are both incarcerated for murders, and as they compete for the most publicity and for the attention of debonair lawyer Billy Flynn.

One of the most exceptional performances is that of Amos Hart, played stunningly by Ray Bokhour. One can only have the utmost sympathy for Amos, as he sings about his invisibility to everyone in “Mr. Cellophane.”

The most inventive dance number is, by far, “Cell Block Tango,” when each of the women who reside in jail tell of their crimes, and show no remorse by proclaiming, “They had it coming.” Most of the cast has played in the Broadway company of “Chicago,” including principles Brenda Braxton (Velma Kelly) and Bianca Marroquin (Roxie Hart). Gregory Harrison plays the role of Billy Flynn, and he is relatively well-known, having been in various television shows (“Trapper John M.D.” and “Falcon Crest”) and made-for-television movies, including “Au Pair” and “First Daughter.”

What made the show even more special and likable was the fact that after the final applause, the cast spoke of their involvement in AIDS-related charities and many of the cast greeted fans and accepted donations.