Chicago Sets 30th-Anniversary Gala With Neuwirth and Naughton

Chicago's Broadway revival will mark 30 years with a one-night November 16 gala reuniting Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton and celebrity alumnae.

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Chicago Sets 30th-Anniversary Gala With Neuwirth and Naughton

By @sharedot · · 8 pages

  • Theater
  • Broadway
  • Chicago Musical
  • Bebe Neuwirth

Chicago's Broadway revival will mark 30 years with a one-night November 16 gala reuniting Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton and celebrity alumnae.

One Night of Razzle Dazzle at the Ambassador

The Tony Award-winning revival of Chicago will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Broadway with a special performance on Monday, November 16 at 7 PM at the Ambassador Theatre, where the show has played since January 2003. Original company members Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton will return, joined by former and current stars Robyn Hurder, Whitney Leavitt, Ariana Madix, Alex Newell and Reece Weaver, with additional celebrity guests still to be announced. The gala will benefit the Entertainment Community Fund's dance programs, with all proceeds supporting its services for dancers.

Why This Reunion Is a Milestone

Chicago is the longest-running show currently on Broadway and the longest-running American musical in history, and the second-longest-running show in Broadway history after the now-closed Phantom of the Opera, according to Playbill. Since opening in 1996, the revival has played in 36 countries and been seen by 33 million people worldwide. Deadline notes that recent casting of Leavitt and Weaver prompted a resurgence in ticket sales this year.

The Starry Alumnae Roster

The alumni lineup reflects the show's famous revolving door of stars. According to Yahoo's exclusive, Ariana Madix made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in 2024, Whitney Leavitt of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives played Roxie from February through May 2026, and Tony winner Alex Newell played Matron "Mama" Morton from November 2025 through January 2026. Robyn Hurder, a Tony nominee for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, has appeared as both Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. Reece Weaver, known from Netflix's America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, currently stars as Roxie in the Broadway production.

Three Decades in Fosse's Footsteps

The revival began as an Encores! presentation at City Center, opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 14, 1996, and later moved to the Shubert before settling at the Ambassador Theatre in January 2003, Playbill recounts. With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Ebb, the Walter Bobbie-directed production won the 1997 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, plus awards for Neuwirth, Naughton, Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking, who died in December 2020. Yahoo also traces the show back to its original 1975 run starring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach, directed and choreographed by Fosse.

Fresh From a Tony Awards Spotlight

The gala comes months after Chicago took center stage at the June 2026 Tony Awards, where a tribute honored the musical's three-decade run. Yahoo reports the segment was introduced by Queen Latifah, who played Mama Morton in the 2002 film, and featured Newell performing "When You're Good to Mama," a star-studded "Cell Block Tango" with Leavitt, Dylan Mulvaney, Adrienne Warren, Julianne Hough and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and host Pink closing the medley with "All That Jazz." November's event extends that anniversary momentum onto the stage where the show itself lives.

Tickets, Proceeds and What Comes Next

Tickets for the 30th anniversary performance go on sale October 15 at 10 AM ET via Telecharge or by phone at (212) 239-6200, and more information is available at entertainmentcommunity.org › Chicago30, per Playbill and Yahoo. The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, has supported performing arts and entertainment professionals since 1882, and the evening's proceeds will fund programs serving dancers, including resources focused on health, wellness and career stability. Yahoo adds that Crossroads Live and the John Gore Organization are among the event's generous supporters. The current company features Weaver, Lissa deGuzman, Max von Essen, Natasha Yvette Williams, Red Concepcion and J. Workman.

Sources

  1. playbill.com › Chicago Will Celebrate 30 Years On Broadway With Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton, Alex Newell, Reece Weaver, More
  2. yahoo.com › "Chicago" Turns 30! Bebe Neuwirth, Ariana Madix and Whitney Leavitt Lead Starry Broadway Reunion (Exclusive)
  3. deadline.com › Bebe Neuwirth, Whitney Leavitt & More Set For 'Chicago' Anniversary On Broadway

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