'Dancing' and 'Insider' Host Harris Joins CHICAGO 7/7

The Great White Way continues to heat up this summer when two-time Emmy Award nominee and celebrated TV personality Samantha Harris ("The Insider," "Dancing with the Stars") makes her Broadway stage debut in the starring role of Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning hit musical CHICAGO for a six-week limited engagement, Tuesday, July 7 through Sunday, August 16, 2009 at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.).

Best known to national primetime TV audiences as a correspondent and fill-in anchor on CBS's "The Insider" and as co-host of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," Harris will also star as Roxie Hart in the Greenville, South Carolina engagement of the CHICAGO national tour, Tuesday, August 18 through Sunday, August 23, 2009 at the Peace Center (300 S. Main St., Greenville).

Recently, Harris filled in for Meredith Vieira for one week as host of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire." Daytime TV viewers have also enjoyEd Harris's contributions as a special correspondent on ABC's "Good Morning America" and many guest co-host stints on ABC's "The View," as well as several appearances on CBS's "The Early Show."

Prior to joining "The Insider," Harris was best known for her four years as a correspondent and fill-in anchor for E! News, where she also co-hosted all award show coverage for the network including Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Emmy Awards.

Harris also served as a full-time correspondent and the weekend co-host for the nationally syndicated entertainment news magazine "Extra." While there, she took to the stage performing with Cirque du Soleil, sang a duet with Wayne Newton during his live show in Las Vegas and danced her way into the arms of Patrick Swayze backstage while he performed in CHICAGO.

Harris's talents also extend to the stage. She appeared in the 23-city North American tour of Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python, where her comedic, vocal and dance performance electrified audiences at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and other prestigious venues. She also starred on stage in the original L.A. cast of the award-winning Reefer Madness: The New "Hit" Musical.

She is a four-time cover girl for Muscle & Fitness HERS and has graced the covers of Runway and Pregnancy & Newborn (while pregnant with her daughter) and most recently YOGAMOM, Fit Parent and Pilates Style. She has also been featured in many magazines including SHAPE, Health, US Weekly, In Touch, Life & Style, FHM and SELF as well as numerous ads and commercials.

Harris actively participates in various charity events, supporting the Revlon Run/Walk and What a Pair for cancer research, Operation Smile, P.S. Arts and Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Michael, and their 19-month-old daughter.

Visit Samantha Harris online at www.samantha-harris.com.

Now celebrating more than twelve glorious years of girls, glitz and glamour on the Great White Way, the record-breaking smash hit musical CHICAGO is now the seventh longest-running production in Broadway history ... and shows no sign of ever slowing down!

CHICAGO features a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, and is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids.

Directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, CHICAGO features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer.

Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, CHICAGO has become a worldwide phenomenon with productions in 24 countries and 11 languages since 1996.

The record-breaking London production of CHICAGO continues to hold the record as the longest-running American musical in West End history. CHICAGO is also on tour throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as international tours in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Also this year, international return engagements of CHICAGO are in the works for Korea, Japan and Holland, as well as the premiere production in Spain. International productions are slated for Argentina and Sweden in 2010 and Norway and Venezuela in 2011.

Visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com for more information.

CHICAGO now plays on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.). The regular performance schedule is as follows:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Beginning Monday, June 29, the summer performance schedule will be as follows:

Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.
Sunday evenings at 7 p.m.
Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are available by calling Telecharge.com at 212-239-6200. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Ambassador Theatre Box Office. Regular Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

The national tour of CHICAGO, starring Samantha Harris as Roxie Hart, will play the PeaceCenter (300 S. Main St.) in Greenville, South Carolina from Tuesday, August 18 to Sunday, August 23. The performance schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Tickets for the Greenville engagement are now available by calling 864-467-300. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.peacecenter.org or in-person at the Peace Center Box Office.