History YMMV / Chicago

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* UncannyValley: Roxie, as well as the reporters, in "We Both Reached For the Gun" in the 2002 film version. Oddly enough, the reason it's so eerie is because it's actual people made up, dressed up, and choreographed like marionettes (or a ventriloquist dummy in Roxie's case), making them inhuman enough that it's just plain creepy.

** "He ran into my knife ''ten times''."
** "Number 17: THE SPREAD EAGLE!"
** "Give 'em the ol' razzle dazzle."

* PromotedFanboy: Before getting the Amos role in the 1996 revival, Joel Grey used "Razzle Dazzle" in 1976 to teach [[Series/TheMuppetShow Gonzo the Great]] how to do a show-stopping act.
* SignatureScene: Cellblock Tango.

* MisaimedFandom: Because it's such a good and passionate song, "Cell Block Tango" is seen as some sort of anthem... except that most of the song is sung by unrepentant murderers.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Roxie proudly saying at the finale, "We couldn't do it without you." And then a montage of press and audience adulating a show focused on two women who got away with murder. The onus is on society for glamorizing criminals.

%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample * FoeYay: Roxie and Velma.

** One of the real-life murderesses featured in the play found it ActuallyPrettyFunny. She went to see the premiere, showing no hard feelings. These days, her lawyers would probably advise her to examine potential areas for libel.

* WhatAnIdiot: Kitty's lover/husband Harry has a threesome with two women ''in Kitty's apartment,'' as opposed to getting a hotel room for the night. Not only that, but '' '''they're still there''' '' when Kitty gets home and apparently were just so worn out from all the fun that they dozed off, right up until Kitty woke them up to murder them. And finally, while he's understandably panicked, Harry (apparently) chooses the most patronizing way imaginable to try and calm Kitty down.

* AwardSnub: Creator/RichardGere was not nominated for Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor, despite getting rave reviews for his wildly against type turn in this.

** The similarly praised Anne Reinking was also not nominated for her work in this production as she had played the part of Roxie as a replacement in the original Broadway production. Even though she wasn't eligible to be nominated for that performance, the Tony rules would not allow her to compete for a role she previously played on Broadway. However, she ''did'' win the Tony for her work choreographing the production.

* MagnificentBastard:
** [[AmoralAttorney Billy Flynn]] is Velma Kelly's {{greed}}y, smooth-talking lawyer. After learning of Roxie Hart's incarceration and seeking to earn more money, Flynn decides to become her lawyer as well. Over the span of several weeks, Flynn teaches Roxie how to earn sympathy from the public whilst also manipulating multiple reporters into thinking she killed her victim in self-defense. During Roxie's trial, Flynn cajoles Roxie's husband, Amos, into forgiving Roxie and accuses a district attorney of tampering with evidence incriminating Roxie--evidence Flynn fabricated himself. Due to Flynn's conniving words, Roxie is declared not guilty, and Flynn walks away having won another case.
** Like Billy, Big Mama Morton is corrupt, shameless, and will do anything for a buck (often at the expense of her inmates' lives, as in the case of the Hunyak)--but be damned if she isn't having just the best time doing it. It doesn't hurt that she's played by the gorgeous and charismatic Queen Latifah.

* MagnificentBastard: [[AmoralAttorney Billy Flynn]] is Velma Kelly's {{greed}}y, smooth-talking lawyer. After learning of Roxie Hart's incarceration and seeking to earn more money, Flynn decides to become her lawyer as well. Over the span of several weeks, Flynn teaches Roxie how to earn sympathy from the public whilst also manipulating multiple reporters into thinking she killed her victim in self-defense. During Roxie's trial, Flynn cajoles Roxie's husband, Amos, into forgiving Roxie and accuses a district attorney of tampering with evidence incriminating Roxie--evidence Flynn fabricated himself. Due to Flynn's conniving words, Roxie is declared not guilty, and Flynn walks away having won another case.

* MagnificentBastard: [[AmoralAttorney Billy Flynn]] is Velma Kelly's {{greed}}y, smooth-talking lawyer. After learning of Roxie Hart's incarceration and seeking to earn more money, Flynn decides to become her lawyer as well. Over the span of several weeks, Flynn teaches Roxie how to earn sympathy from the public whilst also manipulating multiple reporters into thinking she killed her victim in self-defense. During Roxie's trial, Flynn cajoles Roxie's husband, Amos, into forgiving Roxie and accuses a district attorney of tampering with evidence incriminating Roxie--evidence Flynn fabricated himself. Due to Flynn's conniving words, Roxie is declared not guilty, and Flynn walks away having won another case.

** The original production was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and didn't win once. To be fair, it ''was'' up against ''Theatre/AChorusLine'', though that probably only made Creator/BobFosse even angrier given his famous rivalry with Michael Bennett This was rectified with the revival, which won six out of the eight Tonys it was nominated for.
** Joel Grey's universally acclaimed work as Amos in the revival won the precursors for Featured Actor but wasn't even nominated for the Tony. This is due to an oversight where Grey was meant to be submitted as a supporting player, which was forgotten by whoever's job it was. Because Grey was billed above the title, and with nobody on the nominating committee moving him to the appropriate category on their own accord, Grey was then forced to compete in the leading lineup against actors with ''far'' bigger showcases (including costar James Naughton who wound up winning the awards), with this major disadvantage clearly destroying his chances to be recognized, even though he almost definitely would've won if campaigned as featured.

* AwardSnub: The original production was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and didn't win once. (To be fair, it ''was'' up against ''Theatre/AChorusLine''.) This was rectified with the revival, which won six out of the eight Tonys it was nominated for.

* AwardSnub: Creator/RichardGere was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor, despite getting rave reviews for his wildly against type turn in this.

* ToughActToFollow: This was such a success that Rob Marshall's next musical - ''Theatre/NineMusical'' - was seen as a huge letdown. He had a little more success with his third - ''Film/IntoTheWoods''.

* WhatAnIdiot: Kitty's lover/husband Harry has a threesome with two women ''in Kitty's apartment,'' as opposed to getting a hotel room for the night. Not only that, but '' '''they're still there''' '' when Kitty gets home and apparently were just so worn out from all the fun that they dozed off, right up until Kitty woke them up to murder them.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments:
** Amos taking the initiative to pay for his wife's lawyer. He's not conned into it; he does it without any promise that Roxie has changed.
** Roxie is shown being perfectly civil to the Hunyak. Everyone is also saddened when the latter is executed.
** Billy Flynn despite berating Amos for not bringing enough money takes the $2,000 and tells him, "Your devotion to your wife is very touching." While Flynn later does a song and dance around Amos to win Roxie's case, he seems sincere in that moment at least.

* TearJerker:
** Amos's reaction when he realizes that Roxie lied to him about murdering a burglar, that said "burglar" was a man they both knew well, and the only explanation is that his wife was cheating on him. He starts angrily ranting about how much of a "sap" he was.
** Kitty in the film is still a murderess, but you can tell she was really hurt by her husband cheating on her and wants no part in the media circus that follows. Her response to a journalist asking if she knew the women she killed is a DeathGlare and GroinAttack. It's more than likely that, unlike Roxie and Velma, she truly had a psychotic break and would rather go to jail than have Billy representing her.
** Hunyak's execution. She's [[TokenGoodTeammate the only innocent woman of "The Six Merry Murderesses of the Cook County Jail"]] and [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth the only one to be found guilty and executed]].

* WhatAnIdiot: Kitty's lover/husband Harry has a threesome with two women ''in Kitty's apartment,'' as opposed to getting a hotel room for the night. Not only that, but '' '''they're still there''' '' when Kitty gets home and apparently were just so worn out from all the fun that they were asleep, right up until Kitty woke them up to murder them.

* WhatAnIdiot: Kitty's lover/husband Harry has a threesome with two women ''in Kitty's apartment,'' as opposed to getting a hotel room for the night. Not only that, but '''they're still there''' when Kitty gets home and apparently were just so worn out from all the fun that they were asleep, right up until Kitty woke them up to murder them.

* CatharsisFactor: Most of the murders are NightmareFuel and DisproportionateRetribution. On the other hand, while Kitty murdered two women for the crime of sleeping with her husband, said husband is TooDumbToLive and was an idiot by having them over by the time she came home. Anyone who says to their angry spouse, "Are you going to believe what you see or what I tell you?" deserves to get gunned down.

** Kitty in the film is still a murderess, but you can tell she was really hurt by her husband cheating on her and wants no part in the media circus that follows. Her response to a journalist asking if she knew the woman she killed is a DeathGlare and GroinAttack. It's more than like that, unlike Roxie and Velma, she truly had a psychotic break and would rather go to jail than have Billy representing her.

!!Band
* AccidentalInnuendo: Before they even became the Chicago Transit Authority, they went by the name "The Big Thing", which apparently caused some controversy in the Chicago club circuit (they were forced to perform in some clubs as "The Big Sound").
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: ProgressiveRock and jazz-rock fans will find the first three albums to be a veritable goldmine, as well as (probably) quite a lot of ''Chicago VII''. Music/StevenWilson (of Music/PorcupineTree fame) recently remixed the second album, in case you needed more evidence of their prog cred.
* BrokenBase: Their stuff post-Kath era divides the fanbase, especially the 80's "power ballad" era.
* CriticalDissonance: Their first album garnered positive reviews, but overall, they were never the darlings of the music press.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Robert Lamm's {{Author Tract}}s on the first few albums. Hearing Peter Cetera of all people singing about the need to "tear the system down" can be a bit jarring for younger listeners.
* EpicRiff: "25 or 6 to 4".
* FaceOfTheBand: Averted for a while, then in TheEighties, it was Peter Cetera. Who then left halfway through the decade.
* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The inside gatefold photo of their eleventh album, which was released in November 1977, features the band, in an antique car, being chased by a group of policemen(some of whom are firing guns)in another car. One of the guns seems pointed at the head of Terry Kath, who is driving the band’s car. In January 1978, Kath died of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
* {{Narm}}: The bridge of "Stay the Night." The last line leading into the guitar solo has Peter grunting, "We're gonna have a very good time!" as if it's the most important thing he's ever said.
* ReplacementScrappy: Kath replacement Donnie Dacus lasted for only two albums (''Hot Streets'' and ''Chicago XIII''), and was later acknowledged as "a mistake".
** Jason Scheff for Peter Cetera fans.
** Tris Imboden, who replaced founding drummer Danny Seraphine in 1990. Doesn't help the fact that Seraphine's departure remains the most controversial in history of the band, with differing sources claimed either he quit or he got fired.[[note]]Why Seraphine may have been fired is a story of itself. One source said Seraphine became too enamored with electric drum machines and started performing poorly live. Others say Seraphine became too involved with the business side of the band. Seraphine noted in his autobiography he used to have a short temper, with an example being an incident where he got into a fist fight with his drum tech during a sound check and the tech quit his job on the spot, leading to another story where rumors had it that Seraphine attacked the band's manager backstage after a show due to a small misunderstanding on the manager's part. Later that night, Seraphine was traveling on a plane and the manager's brother asked why he attacked the manager. Seraphine supposedly lost it again and attacked the brother. The brother later died from a "heart attack", although some think Seraphine's attack had something to do with it.[[/note]]
** Unfortunately, this goes for any lead vocalist whose name isn't Terry Kath, although Peter Cetera and Bill Champlin avert this.
* SignatureSong: Depending on whom you ask, "25 or 6 to 4", "Saturday in the Park", or "Hard to Say I'm Sorry".
** Following the release of ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'', "You're the Inspiration" has joined the list.
** "If You Leave Me Now" is another contender.
* SongAssociation:
** Although "You're the Inspiration" is actually a pretty standard love song, both musically and lyrically, it's gained a reputation for being a very powerful musical TearJerker thanks to its use in ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'', where it plays during a level where you help a little girl grieve her dead father. Those who've played this game might find themselves getting misty-eyed whenever they hear that song.
** After being memetically mashed up with a reading of the Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} article for [[GroinAttack cock and ball torture]], the song "Old Days" is almost exclusively associated with the latter by netizens.
* TearJerker: "Little One", from their eleventh album, features Terry Kath on lead vocals and was a minor hit shortly after his death in early 1978. Although it was written by drummer Danny Seraphine for his two girls, Terry clearly sang it with his own toddler daughter in mind. One might get the feeling that he somehow knew he wasn't going to be around to see her grow up.
** "If You Leave Me Now" is quite a sad one, not helped by the somber instrumentals and the fact that they also used in a fund raiser with the American Cancer Society, for breast cancer awareness.
--> The love like ours is love that's hard to find
--> How could we let it slip away?
--> We've come too far to leave it all behind
--> How could we end this all this way
--> When tomorrow comes and we'll both regret
--> The things we've said today
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Their '70s fans cried this when they started focusing more on soft rock ballads in the '80s.

* TheCastShowoff: Creator/JohnCReilly is a huge clowning aficionado, and the make-up he puts on for "Mr. Cellophane" was designed by him specifically for that act.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Unlike in the film where Kitty refuses to listen to Billy Flynn as she's being booked into jail; here she may be playing for the insanity defense on his advice while appearing to disregard him. She appears with him at a press conference, under deep protest.

** "If You Leave Me Now" is another.

* SongAssociation: After being memetically mashed up with a reading of the Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} article for [[GroinAttack cock and ball torture]], the song "Old Days" is almost exclusively associated with the latter by netizens.

** This is actually the reason why Maurine Dallas Watkins didn't want to sell the play as a musical; as a born-again Christian, she wrote her ''Chicago'' as a morbid 1920s satire of the legal system and [[https://duluthplayhouse.org/a-little-history-behind-chicago-twelfth-night/#:~:text=Chicago%20originated%20from%20a%201926,name%20by%20Maurine%20Dallas%20Watkins.&text=Fosse%20ran%20into%20a%20roadblock,to%20glorify%20an%20obscene%20lifestyle. atonement for her part in getting two murderesses acquitted as a tabloid journalist]]. Watkins felt that turning ''Chicago'' into a musical vaudeville would cheapen the meaning and glorify said murderesses. To honor the original message, Ben Fosse and Gwen Verdon used the vaudeville acts and flippant costumes to reinforce that murder is never okay, and justice doesn't always prevail.