Sørensen & McDowall are New Roxie & Velma in West End 'Chicago' Feb.25

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen will star as 'Roxie Hart' and Rachel McDowall will star as 'Velma Kelly' in the smash hit West End musical Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre from February 25. Terence Maynard will continue to star as 'Billy Flynn' and Paul Rider as 'Amos Hart', with Zee Asha as 'Mama Morton' and MM Dugdale as 'Mary Sunshine'.

Bonnie Langford and Brenda Edwards will perform their final show on Sunday February 24.

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen played 'Roxie Hart' in the Copenhagen production of Chicago last year to great acclaim. She has also played in Danish productions of The Winter's Tale and Cabaret. Rachel McDowall starred as 'Ulla' in the West End production of The Producers and will shortly be seen playing 'Lisa' in the film of Mamma Mia.

The London production of Chicago has just celebrated its tenth anniversary with a Charity Gala Performance, which took place on Wednesday 5 December.  The smash hit West End musical Chicago transferred from the Adelphi Theatre to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006.  The Cambridge Theatre was the London home of Chicago, when the first production of the show opened there on 10 April 1979, running for 603 performances. Chicago became the longest running production ever to play at the Adelphi Theatre on 17 October 2005, replacing the previous record holder "Me and My Girl", which had run for 3,303 performances.  

Chicago opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 18 November 1997 to rave reviews and immediately became a sell-out hit.  Chicago won the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for 'Outstanding Musical Production' as well as the 1998 Critics Circle Drama Award for 'Best Musical'.  Currently playing in New York, with forthcoming productions planned in Japan, Australia and South Africa, Korea, Denmark and a US National Tour. Chicago is produced in London by the Broadway producers Barry and Fran Weissler.

Chicago, which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.  Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Rick Clarke.  Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher and musical direction by Ian Townsend.  Chicago is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie.  The West End production of Chicago is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team.

Tickets for Chicago, priced from £20.00 - £52.50 (£55.00 on Saturday evenings, with a £75 VIP Package option, including interval champagne in a private room and souvenir brochure), are available from the Cambridge Theatre Box Office on 0844 412 4652.  Performance times at the Cambridge Theatre are Mondays to Thursdays at 8.00pm, with Friday performances at 4.30pm and 8.00pm and Saturday performances at 3.00pm and 8.00pm.  Chicago is now booking until 28 February 2009.  Visit the Chicago website on www.chicagothemusical.co.uk

More Articles by This Author...