CHICAGO Welcomes Melora Hardin as 'Roxie' Beginning Tonight 12/29

Melora Hardin, star of the hit NBC comedy "The Office," will make her Broadway stage debut as fame-hungry murderess Roxie Hart in the Tony Award-winning smash hit musical CHICAGO. Hardin will play a seven-week limited engagement beginning tonight, Monday, December 29, 2008 at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.).

Best known to television audiences for her role as Jan Levenson, Steve Carell's rigid former-boss and love interest on NBC's "The Office," Melora Hardin's impressive career spans a variety of mediums, including numerous television series, several films, two CDs, live concerts... and now Broadway.

In addition to her television work on "The Office," Hardin is also known for portraying Tony Shaloub's dead wife in the hit USA Network series "Monk." On the big screen, she will next star in the film Seventeen Again, opposite Zac Efron, which is slated for theatrical release in April 2009.

She also recently wrapped filming in Nashville as the love interest to Billy Ray Cyrus in the highly anticipated big-screen feature Hannah Montana: The Movie, which also hits theaters this April.

On stage, Hardin most recently played Fantine in the acclaimed Hollywood Bowl production of "Les Misérables in Concert" last August, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander.

Hardin will appear in CHICAGO through Thursday, February 12, 2009.

Now celebrating twelve glorious years of girls, glitz and glamour on the Great White Way, the record-breaking smash hit musical CHICAGO is currently the eighth longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival...and it shows no sign of ever slowing down!

Currently playing at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.), CHICAGO also stars Tony Award nominee Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly, Tony Award nominee Tom Hewitt as Billy Flynn, Scott Davidson as Amos Hart and Lavon Fisher-Wilson as Matron "Mama" Morton. 

With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, CHICAGO is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.

Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, CHICAGO is directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, and features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design byScott Lehrer. The production also features orchestrations by Ralph Burns, supervising music direction by Rob Fisher and music direction by Leslie Stifelman.

Visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com for more information.

Photo by Joan Marcus