Theater News

Chicago Finds a New "Mama" in Carmen Ruby Floyd

Carol Woods ends her 17-year tenure with the Kander and Ebb musical.

Carmen Ruby Floyd enters the Broadway cast of Chicago as Matron "Mama" Morton beginning September 29.
Carmen Ruby Floyd enters the Broadway cast of Chicago as Matron "Mama" Morton beginning September 29.

On Monday, September 29, Carmen Ruby Floyd begins performances at the Ambassador Theatre as Chicago's newest Matron "Mama" Morton. She takes over for longtime Chicago company member Carol Woods, who, after 17 years, plays her final performance with the production on Sunday, September 28. Woods debuted as "Mama" in the first national touring company in 1997 and has reprised the role on Broadway or on tour almost every year since.

Floyd's previous Broadway credits include After Midnight, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Avenue Q, and Disney's The Lion King. She has also appeared on television in a number of series inclusing Law & Order, Rubicon, Mercy, One Life to Life, and Coach.

Featuring classic tunes by John Kander and Fred Ebb, Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media, and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her crime into a barrage of sensational headlines.

For tickets and more information, click here.

Featured In This Story