Desi Oakley to Razzle Dazzle in CHICAGO as Roxie Hart

Chicago announced today that actress Desi Oakley will join the Broadway production in the role of "Roxie Hart" for six weeks of performances at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.). In her first two-week engagement, Oakley makes her debut in the role on Monday, May 13 and plays through Sunday, May 26. She returns for a second two-week engagement, Monday, June 17 through Sunday, June 30. She then returns for a two-week engagement, Monday, July 15 through Sunday, July 28.

Also returning to the company on Monday, May 13, Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly and Ryan Silverman as Billy Flynn join Oakley and the cast which also includes Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart, NaTasha Yvette Williams as Matron "Mama" Morton and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.

Desi Oakley joins the cast of Chicago fresh off of baking around the country as the original Jenna in the National Tour of Waitress. Her Broadway credits include Wicked, Annie and Les Misérables. In addition to Waitress, her National Tour credits include Wicked and Evita. Desi's new original album Repeat can be found on iTunes and all streaming platforms. She was raised in Wichita, KS and is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan. Follow her @desioakley.

With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history.

Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, Chicago features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award winner Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer and casting by Stewart/Whitley.

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids.

Tickets for Chicago are available through Telecharge.com, by calling 212-239-6200, and in-person at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.; New York, NY) box office. Regular box office hours are 10 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday, and Noon to 7:00 pm Sunday.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel