Triple threat Lissa deGuzman will step into the role of Velma Kelly beginning August 31 at Broadway’s Ambassador Theatre.
DeGuzman, who will succeed Sophie Carmen-Jones, previously appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked and Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, after first appearing in the national touring companies of both productions. She made her Broadway debut as the alternate for Ann Darow in King Kong.
The current cast of Chicago features Krysta Rodriguez as Roxie Hart, Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Mark Ballas as Billy Flynn (through August 16), Jacqueline B. Arnold as Matron “Mama” Morton, Eddie Cooper as Amos Hart, and J. Workman as Mary Sunshine.
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The company also includes Tia Altinay, Ronnie
S. Bowman Jr., Austin Dunn, John Michael Fiumara, Danielle Marie
Gonzalez, Chelsea James, Christopher Kelley, James T. Lane, Jenny
Laroche, Marty Lawson, Joseph London, Kristen Faith Oei, Denny Paschall,
Mariah Reives, Sean Samuels, Samantha Sturm, Jeff Sullivan, and Elizabeth Yanick.
The revival of Chicago began life as one of the three annual Encores!
presentations offered by City Center. The musical opened on Broadway at
the Richard Rodgers Theatre November 14, 1996, where it remained
through February 1997. The musical transferred to the Shubert Theatre,
and played that house through January 26, 2003. The revival reopened at
the Ambassador Theatre January 29 that year.
Since its debut in 1996, Chicago has played in 36 countries
and been seen by 33 million people worldwide. It is now the
second-longest running show in Broadway history (after the now closed The Phantom of the Opera).
READ: How the Chicago Costumes Have Evolved Over 25 Years
With a book by the late Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Ebb, Chicago
features direction by Walter Bobbie, choreography by the late Ann
Reinking, set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey
Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer,
and casting by ARC.
The current production, produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, won the
Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for
actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Bobbie, lighting
designer Billington, and Reinking. The original production was directed
and choreographed by the late Fosse.