Frances Ruffelle Returns to West End Chicago, Aug. 1

By: BWW News Desk Jul. 25, 2005

Frances Ruffelle will once again don that skintight black dress to play Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago; she will begin her 4-week stint in the long-running show on August 1st.

Ruffelle first played Roxie in London from September 2003 to June 2004. The star shot to fame as the love-lorn waif Eponine in both the London and Broadway productions of Les Miserables; she garnered the Tony, Theatre World, Helen Hayes and Outer Critics Circle Awards for the performance. Other credits include Starlight Express, Children of Eden, Apples and Terence Rattigan's The Prince and The Showgirl (opposite Omar Sharif). Also a pop star in the UK, Ruffelle has released a self-titled album and Fragile as two of her three solo CDs.

The revival of Chicago, which opened on November 14th 1996, is currently playing on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre. Under Walter Bobbie's direction and star Ann Reinking's choreography, Chicago received 6 1997 Tonys (including Best Revival of a Musical). The revival, based on Bobbie's stylistically stripped-down Encores! staging, featured direction and choreography by Bob Fosse in its original 1975 production.

In London, Chicago is currently playing at the Adelphi Theatre, where it opened in 1997. Brooke Shields (who will be playing the role on Broadway soon) currently stars as Roxie Hart, with Charley Izabella King as Velma Kelly, Clarke Peters as Billy Flynn, Robert Hands as Amos Hart and Zee Asha as Matron Mama Morton.

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Frances Ruffelle Returns to West End Chicago, Aug. 1

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