Chicago Admiration Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Chicago.

Quote #1

VELMA AND ROXIE: In case you shake apart and want a brand new start to do… that… jazz!

These aren't just catchy song lyrics; they have a point. And the point is, in order to become famous, you have to "shake apart and want a brand new start." It's almost like fame is an addiction. You have to hit rock bottom before you can climb your way to the top.

Quote #2

ROXIE: I was there that night you got arrested.
VELMA: Yeah, you and half of Chicago.

Roxie is telling the truth here, but Velma's response reveals that everyone wants to say they were at the Onyx when Velma Kelly shot her sister and husband. Fame by proxy is better for some than no fame at all.

Quote #3

MAMA: The folks atop the ladder are the ones the world adores, so boost me up my ladder, kid, and I'll boost you up yours!

Mama is more talent agent than she is prison warden, and agents and talent have a symbiotic (and sometimes parasitic) relationship. One won't grow unless the other one does, so they both have to climb that ladder together.