Brenda Braxton Steps Back Into Chicago, December 5

By: Nov. 03, 2005
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Brenda Braxton will once again play Velma Kelly in the Broadway production of Chicago. The Tony Award-nominated performer will replace current Velma Luba Mason on December 5th.

Braxton is hardly new to the role of Velma, having played the merry murderess on Broadway before; she is currently appearing as the more lethal half of the Kelly sister act in the national tour of Chicago. Terra C. MacLeod will succeed Braxton in the tour.

Braxton received a Tony Award nod for her performance in Smokey Joe's Cafe. She has also been seen on Broadway in Jelly's Last Jam, Legs Diamond, the 1987 revival and the original production of Dreamgirls, Cats and others. She co-directed and co-choreographed the Actors' Fund benefit concert of Dreamgirls.

Chicago, which opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 14th 1996, has reached a run of over 3,700 performances. Currently at the Ambassador Theatre (215 W. 49th St.), 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 boasts a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a book by Fosse and Ebb.

The revival of Chicago currently stars Charlotte D'Amboise as Roxie Hart, P.J. Benjamin as Amos Hart, Debra Monk as Matron "Mama" Morton, R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine and Huey Lewis as Billy Flynn; on January 16th, Robin Givens will take over as Roxie and John O'Hurley will begin his run as Billy. 



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