Rivera, Vereen to headline 'Chicago' at Mandalay Bay

Ben Vereen and Chita Rivera, who created the role of Velma in the original Broadway production of "Chicago," will star when the acclaimed musical opens March 3 at the new Mandalay Bay casino, producer Barry Weissler said Tuesday.

Rivera, who flew in from her upstate New York home, spoke about her planned six-month engagement, following the announcement and a sneak peek at the show for about 375 local media and Mandalay Bay officials in the unfinished, 1,870-seat Mandalay Bay Theatre.

"I never thought I'd do the show again," the two-time Tony award winner said. "I also never thought I'd do a full-length show in Las Vegas."

Rivera -- who turns 66 on Saturday -- appeared in the original productions of "West Side Story," "Bye Bye Birdie," and "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and the films "Sweet Charity" and "Pippin." Vereen, who will play lawyer Billy Flynn, appeared with Rivera in "Sweet Charity." His varied career has included roles in the TV landmark "Roots," the Broadway production of "Pippin," the musical "Jelly's Last Jam" and the film version of "All That Jazz." His career was put on hold when he was struck by a car in the late '80s.

"Chicago," the Bob Fosse musical -- featuring the choreography of Ann Reinking "in the style of Bob Fosse" -- has been enjoying a successful revival on Broadway for two years, winning six 1997 Drama Desk Awards and six 1997 Tony Awards, inspiring a London version and two national tours (one playing in, yes, Chicago), as well as international versions in Holland, Vienna, Sweden and Australia. Next up: a big-screen version starring Madonna and Goldie Hawn.

The original 1975 version featured Rivera and Gwen Verdon. Reinking later replaced Verdon. The 1997 revival featured Reinking, "Cheers" star Bebe Neuwirth and "Cabaret" star Joel Grey.

The Las Vegas production will play six nights a week (dark Mondays) with two performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Ticket prices range from $45 to $65, with table seating at $90.

"This is a tough town, you've seen everything," Weissler noted. "But we're doing the actual Broadway show as anyone would see it if they visited New York City -- two and half hours, and with an intermission. And that's a different direction for Las Vegas."

On Tuesday, 17 cast members, including Marcia Lewis in the part of Matron "Mama" Morton and Charlotte d'Amboise of the Los Angeles production, performed a condensed version of the show, performing six numbers, including "All That Jazz," "When You're Good to Mama" and "Class."

Stylish and edgy, the show uses a minimalist style, emphasizing lights and dance over props and scenery. The show will feature a live orchestra appearing on the stage.

And if Tuesday's preview was any indication, "Chicago" is sexier -- yet brainier -- than "Crazy Girls," "Enter the Night" or anything currently being offered on the Strip.

"It's a very sexy show, but it also has a story, it's saying something," Rivera noted. "Audiences are not just getting the razzle dazzle, but now, you're getting the word, too, which is very important."

The musical tells the story of Roxie Hart, a woman who kills her lover but becomes a media darling after a sensationalized murder trial.

That may sound like an ultramodern concept, but the 1975 musical actually originated in 1926, when Chicago newspaper reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins wrote the play after covering several murder trials committed by women. It was adapted into a 1928 film called "Chicago," then a 1942 Ginger Rogers remake, "Roxie Hart."

While the show was a quasi-success in its time, its cynical theme seems to have a special resonance with today's post-O.J. Simpson, "Trial of the Century"-savvy audiences.

"It was considered a bleak satire of the judicial system in its time, and now it looks like a documentary," director Walter Bobbie quipped. "It seems ripped from the front page of the paper. It's a musical comedy with teeth."

"This show is very timely," Rivera agreed. "Although the subject has existed forever. It's a story about sex, truth, lies, murder and celebrity."

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