Chicago: American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi

Grammy nominated songwriter and American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi is to make her Broadway stage debut as 'Roxie Hart' in the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Chicago for an eight-week limited engagement, from 5 Sep - 30 Oct 2011.

Kara DioGuardiwas 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.

Kara is an established record producer, record executive, music publisher, author and TV producer. As Executive Vice President at Warner Brothers Records, Kara has signed artists like Jason Derulo and Iyaz. Her publishing company, Arthouse Entertainment, boasts hits from Bruno Mars, Cee Lo Green, Eminem, B.O.B., Travie McCoy, Flo Rida, Whitney Houston and Sean Kingston.

Chicago currently stars *Amra Faye Wright (Velma Kelly), *Christie Brinkley (Roxie Hart), *Brent Barrett (Billy Flynn), Roz Ryan (Mama Morton), *Raymond Bokhour (Amos Hart) and R. Lowe (Mary Sunshine).
*Nikka Graff Lanzarone plays 'Velma Kelly' from 6 Jul
*Charlotte d'Amboise plays 'Roxie Hart' from 24 Jun
*Christopher Sieber plays 'Billy Flynn' from 23 Jun
*Chris Sullivan plays 'Amos Hart' from 20 Jun

Now celebrating fourteen years on the Great White Way, Chicago is the second longest-running production currently playing on Broadway, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival.

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 18 Dec 2011.

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.