Pippin Stars John Dossett and Charlotte d'Amboise Join the Cast of Chicago
(© Jeremy Daniel)
In the ever-rotating world of Broadway cast lists, two stars from the recently closed revival of Pippin are making a smooth transition from the circus to the mean streets of Chicago.
Tony nominee John Dossett, who comes directly from the role of King Charles, will begin performances as the sweet-talking lawyer Billy Flynn. Two-time Tony nominee Charlotte d'Amboise, who played opposite Dossett in Pippin as his wife, Fastrada, will also join the Chicago cast in a return engagement as his murderous client Roxie Hart.
Dossett is slated for a limited 10-week engagement from January 19-March 29. He takes over for John O'Hurley, who plays his final performance on Sunday, January 18, before rejoining the company of Chicago's national tour. In addition to Pippin, Dossett's past Broadway credits include Newsies, Prelude to a Kiss, The Constant Wife, Democracy, and the 2003 revival of Gypsy, for which he received a Tony Award nomination.
D'Amboise, who has been performing the role of Roxie Hart on and off since 1999, will join the cast for 14 performances only, beginning January 22. The actress holds the record for having played Roxie Hart more than any other actress in the history of the production — more than 2,500 performances on Broadway and the road combined to date. The production's current Roxie, Bianca Marroquin, will play her final performance on Sunday, January 11, and will be succeeded by Chicago veteran Dylis Croman, who takes on the role from January 12-January 20, at which point, d'Amboise will begin her short engagement.
As previously announced, Grammy Award winner Jennifer Nettles and another Pippin veteran, Carly Hughes, will take over as Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, respectively, beginning February 2.
The current cast of Chicago also features Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly (through February 1), Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart, NaTasha Yvette Williams as Matron "Mama" Morton, and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.
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.
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