Pamela Anderson is going from the screen to the stage! The actress and model will be heading to the bright lights of Broadway on April 12 to star in Chicago, joining the cast of the long-running musical at the Ambassador Theatre as murderess Roxie Hart for a limited eight week engagement. Anderson is set to join the revival production just after it rings in its twenty-fifth anniversary.
Chicago follows Roxie, a newly imprisoned woman who is on trial for killing the man with whom she was having an affair. While behind bars, she meets longtime prisoner Velma Kelly who, along with several other inmates, shows her the ropes of living in prison. Through jazz tunes, vaudeville performances, and a witty book, audiences are given a look into the underbelly of the prison system, between disenfranchised inmates and those who are considered celebrities and are able to sell their salacious stories to the press. Although it was first performed almost fifty years ago, Chicago’s story still rings true.
With music and lyrics by hit-making duo John Kander and Fred Ebb, and choreographed by the iconic and revered Bob Fosse, Chicago was an immediate hit when it first hit stages in 1975. With a revival team including producers Barry and Fran Weissler, director Walter Bobbie, and choreographer Ann Reinking, it’s no shocker as to why the musical received six Tony Awards at the 1997 ceremony. Throughout the years, countless celebrities have stepped into the heels of Roxie Hart including Christie Brinkley, Brooke Shields, Lisa Rinna, Ashlee Simpson, Robin Givens, and Erika Jayne.
Of her Broadway debut, Anderson said it was a “dream fulfilled,” adding that she has always loved Fosse, Reinking, and Gwen Verdon’s (the original Roxie) work. The performer went on to say that she felt a “freedom” when she performs Fosse, as she can leave her worries on the outside and focus on nothing but the music and moves.
The news of Anderson’s take on the leading lady comes just a week after Netflix revealed their plans to move forward with a documentary surrounding the Baywatch star’s life. The documentary, which will be under the direction of Ryan White, comes in response to the Hulu scripted series Pam & Tommy, a dramatic retelling of Anderson’s infamous sex-tape scandal with Tommy Lee, and a production that has been slammed by Anderson for its inaccuracies. Anderson’s performance in Chicago will no doubt boost the performer’s name once again and be a great set up for the upcoming documentary which she says will tell audiences the “real story.”