Pamela Anderson is headed to the Great White Way this spring, taking on the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago.
The actress is scheduled to make her Broadway debut in the long-running production, playing the role of the infamous aspiring vaudeville star who’s launched to stardom after murdering a man she’s having an affair with. Anderson will do an eight-week engagement at the Ambassador Theater from April 12 to June 5.
In a press release announcing the casting, Anderson said, “I have always been a huge fan of Bob Fosse’s & Gwen Verdon’s work. Ann Reinking, too. Playing Roxie Hart is a dream fulfilled.” She continued, “Performing Fosse, you don’t have time to get in your head. You can’t dance, sing and think at the same time. There is a freedom, a unique joy in knowing it’s all about the work. Playing Roxie Hart is a sweet escape for me.”
The role of Roxie has been played by a long list of top actresses since it was originated by Verdon in the 1975 Broadway production. Melanie Griffith, Christie Brinkley, Brooke Shields, and Ashlee Simpson Ross have all taken on the part, and Renée Zellweger starred in the 2002 film adaptation as Roxie opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones as rival murderess Velma Kelly.
Last week, Anderson announced that she’s also partnered with Netflix on an upcoming documentary about her life. The Baywatch star revealed this news on her Instagram, sharing a handwritten note on Netflix letterhead and sealed with a lipstick kiss. “My life. A thousand imperfections. A million misperceptions,” she wrote. “Wicked, wild and lost. Nothing to live up to. I can only surprise you—Not a victim, but a survivor & Alive to tell the real story.”
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