Claudia Shear joins London Cast of 'Chicago'

 Claudia Shear, the American award-winning actress and playwright, will star as 'Mama Morton' in the smash hit West End musical Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre for an eight-week season from Monday 31 March until Saturday 25 May. Birgitte Hjort Sørensen and Rachel McDowall will continue to star as 'Roxie Hart' and 'Velma Kelly', with Terence Maynard as 'Billy Flynn' and Paul Rider as 'Amos Hart'.

Claudia Shear won numerous awards for her portrayal of Mae West in her own play Dirty Blonde, which ran triumphantly on Broadway and subsequently transferred to the West End for a very successful season. Her television credits include "Friends", "Earthly Possessions" and "Blown Sideways Through Life".

The London production of Chicago has just celebrated its tenth anniversary with a Charity Gala Performance, which took place on Wednesday 5 December.  The smash hit West End musical Chicago transferred from the Adelphi Theatre to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006.  The Cambridge Theatre was the London home of Chicago when the first production of the show opened there on 10 April 1979, running for 603 performances.  Chicago became the longest running production ever to play at the Adelphi Theatre on 17 October 2005, replacing the previous record holder "Me and My Girl", which had run for 3,303 performances.  

Chicago opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 18 November 1997 to rave reviews and immediately became a sell-out hit.  Chicago won the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for 'Outstanding Musical Production' as well as the 1998 Critics Circle Drama Award for 'Best Musical'.  Currently playing in New York, with forthcoming productions planned in Japan, Australia and South Africa, Korea, Denmark and a US National Tour. Chicago is produced in London by the Broadway producers Barry and Fran Weissler.

Chicago, which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.  Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Rick Clarke.  Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher and musical direction by Ian Townsend.  Chicago is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie.  The West End production of Chicago is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team.

Tickets for Chicago, priced from £20.00 - £52.50 (£55.00 on Saturday evenings, with a £75 VIP Package option, including interval champagne in a private room and souvenir brochure), are available from the Cambridge Theatre Box Office on 0844 412 4652.  Performance times at the Cambridge Theatre are Mondays to Thursdays at 8.00pm, with Friday performances at 4.30pm and 8.00pm and Saturday performances at 3.00pm and 8.00pm.  Chicago is now booking until 28 February 2009.  Visit the Chicago website at www.chicagothemusical.co.uk.

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