Alyssa Milano will make her Broadway debut when she takes on the role of Roxie Hart in “Chicago” next month.
The “Charmed” and “Who’s The Boss?” star is set to raise the curtain at the Ambassador Theater on Sept. 16 for an eight-week run through Nov. 10.
“The beauty of theater is that you get to try new things every night,” the New York native told The Associated Press. “That’s what I used to love about doing theater. And that’s what I hope that I can find again in doing ‘Chicago.’”
Milano has appeared in theatrical productions throughout her career, starting in a national touring production of “Annie” when she was 8 years old.
The Jazz Age-set musical is a satire of celebrity culture focused on the rivalry between murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. Hart is a housewife and dancer who murders her lover when he threatens to leave her.
“I guarantee you I’m going to keep finding things — keep finding little moments that will, hopefully, add onto the legacy of all the women who came before me,” Milano said.
“Vanderpump Rules” star Ariana Madix is currently portraying the role of Roxie. Brooke Shields, Christie Brinkley, Melanie Griffith, Pamela Anderson and Ann Reinking — the Fosse collaborator who originated the role in the 1996 revival and remains its choreographer — are among the many to have played the character onstage, while Renée Zellweger took on the role (and snagged an Oscar nomination) in the 2002 film adaptation.
“To finally be making my Broadway debut in the role…and to stand on the shoulders of such honorable lineage is all that a little girl who loved to sing and dance and make people smile could have ever dreamt of,” Milano, 51, told Broadway World. “I can’t wait to hit the stage.”
After “The Phantom of the Opera” closed last year, “Chicago” became the longest-running musical on Broadway and has racked up nearly 10,000 performances since its revival.
