Many of the characters in the film are based on real-life characters from the New York theater world. Aside from
Roy Scheider,
Leland Palmer's character was based on his wife/frequent star
Gwen Verdon. 'John Lithgow''s character was also based somewhat on the New York theater director
Michael Bennett, director of "Dreamgirls" with whom
Bob Fosse had a longstanding rivalry. The character of producer Jonesy Hecht was based upon his fellow longtime rival
Harold Prince.
Ann Reinking was more or less playing herself. The character of songwriter "Paul Dann" is a swipe at
Stephen Schwartz, with whom he had unhappily worked on "Pippin."
Jules Fisher, the lighting designer on many of Fosse's shows, and later the producer of his show "Dancin'", makes an appearance as a lighting designer in the scene with 'John Lithgow'. The film is based on Fosse's real-life heart attack while directing the original 1975 Broadway production of Chicago.
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