Carol Woods is Chicago's Mama Morton 1/23-1/30

Carol Woods will return to Chicago for a week's stint as brassy Matron "Mama" Morton in the hit musical playing at the Ambassador Theatre (219 West 49th Street).

She will begin performances on January 23rd and stay with the show through January 30th.  Roz Ryan will return to the role on January 31st.

Woods will join a cast that currently includes Philip Casnoff as Billy Flynn, Rob Bartlett as Amos Hart and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine, with Bebe Neuwirth and Brenda Braxton as rival merry murderesses, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, respectively.

Woods has appeared on Broadway in One Mo' Time, the Roundabout revival of Follies, The Goodbye Girl, A Little Hotel on the Side, The Crucible, Stepping Out and the Harold Prince-directed musical Grind.   She has appeared in Chicago on Broadway and on tour.  Woods received an Olivier Award nomination for her performance in London's Blues in the Night, and also appeared in The National Theatre's production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.  At home in musicals and drama alike, she is one of the founders of the National Actors Theatre.

Chicago, which opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 14th 1996, has reached a run of over 4,200 performances at the Ambassador Theatre (215 W. 49th St.); the show will celebrate its 10 year anniversary in November. Chicago received 6 1997 Tonys (including Best Revival of a Musical) under the direction of />/>Walter Bobbie and the choreography of star />/>Ann Reinking. The revival, based on Bobbie's stylistically stripped-down Encores! staging, featured direction and choreography by />Bob Fosse in its original 1975 production. Chicago features a score by />/>John Kander and />/>Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and />Bob Fosse.

For more information on Chicago, visit www.chicagothemusical.com. For tickets, call Telecharge at 212 239 6200, or visit www.telecharge.com.