Chicago welcomes new Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart

On 5 Sep 2011 the Tony Award winning revival of John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse's Chicago will welcome Amra-Faye Wright and Kara DioGuardi to the leading roles of 'Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart,' respectively.

Amra-Faye Wright returns to the role of 'Velma Kelly' from 5 Sep - 30 Oct 2011, assumming the role from Nikka Graff Lanzarone who played her final performance on 4 Sep 2011.

Since 2005, Amra-Faye Wright has played the role of 'Velma Kelly' throughout the world -- including Broadway, London's West End, Johannesburg and Capetown, South Africa; Japan, and on tour throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.

Wright's other theatrical credits include 'Vi Moore' in 'Footloose' (UK Tour), 'Sandy' in 'Grease' (Johannesburg Superbowl) and 'Sheila' in 'A Chorus Line' (Civic Theatre, Johannesburg). She has written and performed several one-woman shows, including 'It's Not Where I Start,' 'Drinks on Me' and 'Rouge Pulp.'

Grammy nominated songwriter and American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi will make her Broadway stage debut as 'Roxie Hart', from 5 Sep - 30 Oct 2011, assumming the role from Charlotte d'Amboise who played her final performance on 4 Sep 2011.

Kara DioGuardi was a judge on seasons 9 and 10 of the FOX show "American Idol." She can currently be seen as head judge on Bravo's 'Platinum Hit.' It was recently announced that Bravo is developing a reality show tentatively entitled "Kara," which will focus on her life mentoring young songwriters, and her company, Arthouse.

The Broadway company of Chicago now stars Amra-Faye Wright (Velma Kelly), Kara DioGuardi (Roxie Hart), Tony Yazbeck (Billy Flynn), Carol Woods (Mama Morton), Chris Sullivan (Amos Hart) and R. Lowe (Mary Sunshine).

The show has been playing on Broadway since 14 Nov 1996, it moved to the Ambassador Theatre on the 29 Jan 2003, where it is now booking through to 1 Jul 2012.

Chicago follows not your usual housewife, Roxie Hart, who gains dubious notoriety when she kills her boyfriend, invents her defence and manipulates everyone from her trustworthy husband to the fickle media and the unsuspecting public. The show features the well known songs, 'All That Jazz,' 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'Mr. Cellophane'.

Chicago has music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Book by Bob Fosse & Fred Ebb.

The musical is directed by Walter Bobbie, with choreography by Ann Reinking, scene design by John Lee Beatty, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Scott Lehrer.

Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording. It is the fourth longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival.