Brooke Shields to Direct CHICAGO at Hollywood Bowl; Runs 7/26-28

Brooke Shields has been announced as the director of the Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of CHICAGO, which holds the record as the third longest running show in Broadway history. Rob Fisher has also been announced as the conductor of the production. Shields starred in CHICAGO both on Broadway and in London's West End and this marks her directing debut. Fisher's association with the show began with the 1996 Broadway revival and he continues to be supervising music director of CHICAGo Productions around the globe.

CHICAGO, the brilliantly sexy tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz, is set amid the razzle-dazzle of the 1920s. This winner of six Tony Awards will come to decadent life with a sensational all-star cast in a one-of-a-kind Bowl production, steaming up the night with sass, brass and a#$.

CHICAGO will have three performances at the Hollywood Bowl - Friday and Saturday, July 26 and 27 at 8:00pm, and Sunday, July 28 at 7:30pm. Subscriptions and Five or More packages for the 2013 season at the Hollywood Bowl are available now at HollywoodBowl.com or via credit card phone order at 323-850-2000. Single tickets will go on sale May 4, 2013, in person at the Hollywood Bowl box office, by phone at 323-850-2000 and online at HollywoodBowl.com.

Commenting on the announcement, Brooke Shields says, "I have been inspired by working with Rob Fisher on many projects and his belief in me and my talent has been a true blessing. He has asked more of me than any other Musical Director and it is why I have achieved more than I ever dreamt possible. My passion for CHICAGO began decades ago, purely as a fan. Years later, after having a dance session with Annie Reinking, she asked me to join the CHICAGO company.

I will never forget her endorsement of me. I have performed in the show in London and on Broadway and get excited by the score from the moment the Overture begins. I have repeatedly been surprised by how current the piece remains and how relevant the themes are. The score, the choreography and the book are, I believe, some of the best and most enduring ever. I am honored to have asked to make my directorial debut on such an important musical, and one that is so dear to my heart."

Rob Fisher says, "I have worked with Brooke a number of times as a singer and actress and have been dazzled by her constant growth, sometimes on the steepest possible learning curve. Her perceptions into human relationships are deeply insightful, she is as articulate as you could ever want a Princeton graduate to be, and she is humble and kind. You rarely find this combination of qualities in a director and that's why I think she will make a great one.

After spending 17 years teaching CHICAGO around the world, I still love the show and the score. I'm not sure there is anything else I would feel that way about, certainly no other musical. The songs and their arrangements are great and should explode from the stage into the Bowl!"

The recent history of Broadway musicals at the Hollywood Bowl is nothing short of spectacular, including RENT (starring Vanessa Hudgens, Nicole Scherzinger and Wayne Brady, directed by Neil Patrick Harris), HAIRSPRAY (starring Harvey Fierstein, Drew Carey, John Stamos, Nick Jonas, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell) and THE PRODUCERS (starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Richard Kind, Rebecca Romijn, Dane Cook, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman).

Brooke Shields began her accomplished professional career at only eleven months of age when she was selected as the Ivory Snow Baby, and by age three was a runway model. At age nine, Shields began her extensive film career when she won her first acting role in Alice Sweet Alice and rapidly gained fame after starring in Louis Malle's Pretty Baby, the Palme D'or Award winner at the Cannes Film Festival, and the coming-of-age tales Blue Lagoon and Endless Love. As a model, Brooke has graced the covers of hundreds of magazines, most notably Time

Magazine as the "Face of the Eighties." Today, Shields continues her prolific appearances in a broad range of worldwide publications, decades after it all began.

In addition to her film achievements, Shields has maintained a successful and critically acclaimed television career. Her work on the NBC hit Suddenly Susan garnered her a Golden Globe nomination, and she received an American Comedy Award nod for her guest role on Friends. Brooke is the recipient of five People's Choice Awards, and has previously starred in NBC's Lipstick Jungle, in addition to guest appearances on a wide range of hit shows including That 70's Show, Hannah Montana, Two and a Half Men and The Middle. Shields will portray brash and brilliant Air Force Colonel Katherine "Kat" Young this spring in Lifetime's critically acclaimed drama, Army Wives. Shields will appear in the movie Hot Flashes, which releases this summer.

Shields is the best-selling author of several books, including The Brooke Book, On Your Own, and the highly publicized and critically acclaimed Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression. Brooke has recently tapped into her experiences as a mother, successfully branching out into the world of children's books, penning Welcome to Your World, Baby and It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! for Harper Collins.

While attending Princeton University, Brooke pursued her love of Theatre as a member of the Princeton Triangle Club. Shortly after graduating with honors, she made her Broadway debut as Rizzo in the hit musical Grease, for which she earned the Theatre World Award in 1994 for "Outstanding Debut on Broadway." Shields went on to star in Chicago, Wonderful Town and Cabaret, all of which earned her rave reviews. Last year, Brooke starred in a variety of on-stage productions. She assumed the iconic role of Morticia Addams alongside Roger Rees in the hit Broadway show, The Addams Family. Brooke appeared in the acclaimed ensemble Girls Talk, written and directed by Roger Kumble. Brooke also had her critically acclaimed nightclub debut at Feinstein's at The Loews Regency, performing "In My Life," a freewheeling music and stand-up romp through her life's ups and downs. The show sold out its entire run.

In 2012, Shields starred alongside Richard Chamberlain in playwright John Pielmeier's world premiere adaptation of The Exorcist at the Geffen Playhouse, helmed by acclaimed director John Doyle.

In addition to her professional career, Brooke continues to be a strong advocate for children's rights and literacy, and is the happily married mother of two beautiful daughters.

Rob Fisher is an internationally distinguished artistic director, conductor and pianist, as well as a leading figure in American music and musical theatre. Within the past decade, Fisher has been a guest of virtually every major orchestra in the U.S. as conductor or pianist, making recurring engagements to the orchestras in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta. In 2007 he led a critically acclaimed revival of MY FAIR LADY with the New York Philharmonic; earlier this year he conducted their production of CAROUSEL. Other recent highlights include debuts with the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras and appearances with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the Pittsburgh, Baltimore and National symphonies. He conducted The New York Pops on many occasions, and enjoyed sharing concerts with the late Skitch Henderson.

Rob Fisher was founding music director and conductor of the Encores! series at New York City Center from its inception in 1994 until 2005. The series earned a 2000 Tony Award, and in 1997, Fisher was given the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Special Achievement. Fisher has made numerous recordings for the series, including the Grammy-winning CHICAGO cast album. He continues to be supervising music director of CHICAGo Productions around the globe. He returned to Encores! as music director of GIRL CRAZY and NO, NO, NANETTE. In 2007, Fisher was music director of the Central Park production of HAIR and was music supervisor for its 2008 revival and 2009 move to Broadway. Last season, Fisher served as music supervisor of the Tony-winning Broadway revival of ANYTHING GOES, and in April of 2012, he conducted a one-night gala performance of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Carnegie Hall.

Besides Encores!, Fisher has a long association with other New York series. For Lincoln Center's American Songbook, he served as Producer/Music Director creating tributes to the Gershwins, Bernstein and Cole Porter; the Porter program was then presented at the Ravinia Festival. This season, he presented a program of John Kander songs. Fisher has made nine appearances on the Lyrics & Lyricists series at New York's 92nd Street Y, usually with his friend Sheldon Harnick as host, reuniting this season to celebrate the influence of W.S. Gilbert.

Fisher's performances have been televised on many occasions. He was music director and conductor for "Ira at 100," a gala concert at Carnegie Hall which was broadcast on PBS's "Great Performances," and he appeared twice on the PBS series, "In Performance at the White House," for the Clintons. The Emmy-winning concert production of SWEENEY TODD, starring Patti LuPone and George Hearn, was music directed by Fisher conducting the San Francisco Symphony. For four seasons, Fisher was music director for Garrison Keillor's American Radio Company and remains a frequent guest on "A Prairie Home Companion."

CHICAGO has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and crimes she reported on. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal."

The original Broadway production opened in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances until 1977. Bob Fosse also choreographed the original production. CHICAGO was revived on Broadway in 1996, and a year later in the West End. The Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and is the third longest-running show in Broadway history having played more than 6,700 performances to date. The West End revival ran for nearly 15 years, becoming the longest-running American musical in West End history, and it has enjoyed several tours and international productions. The Academy Award-winning 2002 film version of the musical was directed by Rob Marshall.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL, now celebrating its 92nd season, has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and is home to the best and brightest in all genres of music. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 42nd season. In February 2013, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the ninth year in a row at the 24th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.