Chicago - Kelly Osbourne joins cast
Feature by Lizzie Guilfoyle
REALITY TV star Kelly Osbourne will make her professional stage debut playing Mama Morton in the popular Kander and Ebb musical Chicago, which is currently booking until July 2008 at the Cambridge Theatre.
Osbourne, who found fame on the MTV reality show The Osbournes with her parents Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne and brother Jack, will appear for seven weeks – from September 10 to October 27, 2007.
Osbourne’s other TV credits include Project Catwalk, Turning Japanese and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here…Now!. She has also released two albums – Shut Up and Sleeping in the Nothing.
In Chicago, Osbourne will be joining Josefina Gabrielle (Roxie), Annette McLaughlin (Velma) and, making a brief return as Amos Hart, Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe. As yet, it’s not known who’ll be playing Billy Flynn following the departure of Duncan James on September 8, 2007.
Previously Posted: Former boyband star Duncan James will make his West End musical debut at the Cambridge Theatre in the Kander and Ebb hit Chicago.
On July 2, 2007, he will take over the role of corrupt but charismatic lawyer Billy Flynn from American actor Maxwell Caulfield – for just seven weeks.
James (29 years) was one of four singers who made up the boyband Blue which had 11 top ten singles between 2000 and 2004. Since the band split, James collaborated with Keedie on another chart success, I Believe My Heart, a duet from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White. He was also a contestant on ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
The current cast of Chicago includes Josefina Gabrielle as Roxie, Amra-Faye Wright as Velma, Matthew Lloyd Davies as Amos Hart and Susie McKenna as Mama Morton.
Previously Posted: For a limited five week period – from May 29 to June 30, 2007 – American screen and stage actor Maxwell Caulfield will appear as corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn in the hit musical Chicago, which is currently booking until October 6, 2007, at the Cambridge Theatre.
Although Caulfield is probably best known for his roles in TV’s Dynasty and The Colbys (as Miles Colby) and the the film Grease 2 (as Michael Carrington), his acting credits are numerous.
On stage, he has appeared in An Inspector Calls and Class Enemy (both on Broadway), Tryst, My Deah, Our Leading Lady, My Night with Reg, Sleuth and The Elephant Man.
While his screen credits also include La Femme Nikita, The Real Blonde, The Boys Next Door, The Man Who Knew Too Little and Doctor Quinn Medicine Woman.
As Billy Flynn he’ll be following in the footsteps of Tony Hadley, Marti Pellow, Sacha Distel, Darius Danesh, John Barrowman, Henry Goodman and David Hasselhoff.
Previously Posted: For a five week period, from April 2 to May 5, 2007, Australian singer Tina Arena will take over the role of Roxie Hart in the long-running musical, Chicago, at the Cambridge Theatre.
Arena’s theatre credits include Sam Mendes’ Sydney production of Cabaret (as Sally Bowles), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (also in Australia), and Notre Dame de Paris (Dominion Theatre) in which she made her West End debut.
The current cast also features Annette McLaughlin as Velma Kelly, Brenda Edwards as Mama Morton and Julian Sims as Amos Hart. Tony Hadley continues in the role of Billy Flynn until March 24, 2007.
Previously Posted: The former lead singer of 80’s pop group Spandau Ballet, Tony Hadley, is to make his stage acting debut in the hit musical Chicago at the West End’s Cambridge Theatre.
For a limited eight-week season – from January 29 to March 24, 2007 – he will play corrupt lawyer Billy Flynn, the role currently played by Ian Kelsey.
With fellow band members Gary and Martin Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble, Hadley had hits with True and Gold. As a solo artists his singles have included Build Me Up and She; while albums include Obsession and Passing Strangers.
In 2003, he won the reality TV series Reborn in the USA.
Meanwhile, Aoife Mulholland has extended her run as Roxie until January 27, 2007.
Previously Posted: Aoife Mulholland, a finalist in the BBC talent show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, is to play Roxie Hart in the hit musical Chicago at London’s Cambridge Theatre – from December 18, 2006 to January 13, 2007.
She will replace Josefina Gabrielle who has played the murderous Roxie five times.
Joining Mulholland will be Annette McLaughlin in what will be her third stint as Velma Kelly. Since last in the show, she has appeared in Anything Goes and Tomorrow Morning.
McLaughlin will continue in the role until January 27, 2007, along with Ian Kelsey (Billy Flynn), Brenda Edwards (Mama Morton) and Julian Sims (Amos Hart) who also leave at the end of January.
However, Kelsey will not be appearing from December 14 to December 20, 2006.
The current stage revival of Chicago has recently celebrated its ninth anniversary at the Cambridge Theatre. It was previously staged – for a record-breaking eight-and-a-half years – at the Adelphi Theatre.