Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, treachery….and gin. A sizzling collaboration between the longest running show on Broadway, the musical masterpiece Chicago, and Melbourne gin makers Little Lon Distilling Co has resulted in a specially created bespoke gin, the Cell Block Tango.
Plotted and crafted in Melbourne’s CBD and rested within the notorious confines of the Old Melbourne Gaol, this limited-release gin unleashes a fiery concoction of juniper, cinnamon, citrus, and an array of spices, igniting the senses with the exhilaration of the roaring 20s.
The Cell Block Tango gin has been created especially to celebrate the arrival of the Chicago opening in Melbourne from March 23 and will be featured in bars at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Bottles of the limited edition gin can also be purchased online at Little Lon Distilling Co or at Little Lon itself, in Casselden Place in the city.
Little Lon Distilling Co was named after the Little Lonsdale area of Melbourne. This once ‘notorious’ north-east corner of Melbourne, was a sight to behold in the 1850s. Its colourful past – specifically, a deep shade of harlot red – made it a magnet for the debauched, who wandered down its lamp-lit lanes late at night.
It is now a ‘gintrified’ establishment commemorating the rich history of the Little Lon District with a range of characterful, small-batch, handcrafted gins and spirits; raising a tipple to the deviates that once trod these lurid laneways.
Set amidst the decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer Billy Flynn to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.
The latest stage production of Chicago stars Zoë Ventoura as Velma Kelly, Lucy Maunder as Roxie Hart, Anthony Warlow as Billy Flynn, Peter Rowsthorn as Roxie’s husband Amos and Asabi Goodman as the tough and sassy prison warden Matron “Mama” Morton.
The longest-running show now playing on Broadway, this scorching hot masterpiece includes a glittering score that includes All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango and Razzle Dazzle. Created by the musical theatre talents of John Kander, Fred Ebb and legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, it’s no wonder Chicago has been honoured with six Tony Awards®, two Olivier Awards, and a Grammy®.
Chicago opens at Her Majesty’s Theatre from 23 March 2024.
