Mel B makes her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart tonight

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Mel B aka "Scary Spice" will officially make her Broadway debut in Kander & Ebb's Tony Award-winning musical Chicago tonight, taking on the lead role of Roxie Hart. Her strictly limited 8-week engagement will run through to 19 February 2017 at the Ambassador Theatre.

As a recording artist, Mel B shot to fame as "Scary Spice" in the British pop group "Spice Girls," releasing a total of three studio albums - "Spice," "Spiceworld," and "Forever" - and the movie "Spice World" in 1997. She went on to release two solo studio albums - "Hot" and "L.A. State of Mind" - and has since enjoyed a TV career, including her roles as a judge on "America's Got Talent," and "The X Factor" (UK and Australia) and as a presenter on "Lip Sync Battle UK."

The principal Broadway cast currently includes Mel B (Roxie Hart), Amra-Faye Wright (Velma Kelly), Christopher Sieber (Billy Flynn), Raymond Bokhour (Amos Hart), NaTasha Yvette Williams (Matron Mama Morton), and R. Lowe (Mary Sunshine).

Chicago features a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, with a book by Bob Fosse & Fred Ebb. This revival production is directed by Walter Bobbie, with choreography by Ann Reinking.

Synopsis: "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 such showtune classics as 'All That Jazz,' 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'Mr. Cellophane.'

The creative team features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design 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.

The show is currently booking through to 2 July 2017.

- by Tom Millward

Mel B as Roxie Hart in Chicago

Originally published on

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