The Las Vegas sitdown of Chicago, a yearlong hit at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, will fold its hand Feb. 27, days before a first anniversary.

The staging of the hit Broadway revival at the new resort complex in Nevada began March 3, 1999, starring Chita Rivera, Ute Lemper, Marcia Lewis, Ernie Sabella and Ben Vereen. The current company stars Vicki Lewis, Nana Visitor, Gregory Jbara and P.J. Benjamin.

A second national tour continues its travels through North America, with Alan Thicke as Billy Flynn.

What's next at the Manday Bay Theatre?

"For now, they are going with headliners," said spokesman David Kirvin. "I believe they will return to a musical if they can find the right one." It was not immediately clear if the final Las Vegas date represented a shut down of the tour or if producers Barry and Fran Weissler had plans to eventually reconstitute the production for future dates.

Bringing the starry, Tony Award-winning Chicago to the desert helped earn Mandalay Bay attention in its first year. The resort's doors opened March 2, 1999, with Chicago previews beginning March 3. The show was not trimmed or altered for the Vegas engagement, representing a change in the tradition of casino resort shows.

When Rivera played the show in 1999, she took on the role of murderess Roxie Hart rather than Velma Kelly, the part she created in the 1975 original staging on Broadway.

Tickets are $35-$80. Call (702) 632-7580 for information.