Melba Moore to Star in Chicago Tour, December 26-31
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 13, 2006
Tony Award-winner Melba Moore will star as Matron "Mama" Morton in the national tour of Chicago for a number of performances this month.
The Purlie star will start performances as the money-minded prison matron on December 26th, when Chicago starts at Philadelphia's Merriam Theatre. She will star in the show throughout the Philly engagement, which ends on December 31st.
Moore, who recently starred in the national tour of Brooklyn, won a Tony Award for her star-making performance in Purlie. She has also appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables, Inacent Black, Timbuktu! and Hair. Moore is also a noted R&B singer whose hits include "Falling" and "Read My Lips," for which she received a Grammy Award nomination. Film and TV credits include The Fighting Temptations, "Loving," All Dogs Go to Heaven and a self-titled series.
Chicago, which opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 14th 1996, has reached a run of almost 4,200 performances at the Ambassador Theatre (215 W. 49th St.); the show recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary. Chicago received 6 1997 Tonys (including Best Revival of a Musical) under the direction of Walter Bobbie and the choreography of star Ann Reinking. The revival, based on Bobbie's stylistically stripped-down Encores! staging, featured direction and choreography by Bob Fosse in its original 1975 production. Chicago features a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse.
The tour of Chicago, the tale of rival merry murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, currently stars Bianca Marroquin as Roxie, Brenda Braxton as Velma, Tom Wopat as Billy Flynn, Ron Orbach as Amos Hart, and R. Bean as Mary Sunshine.
Visit www.chicagothemusical.com for more information.
