Alyssa Milano to Make Her Broadway Debut in the Iconic Musical ‘Chicago’ This Fall
Alyssa Milano is set to captivate audiences as she makes her highly anticipated Broadway debut this fall in the iconic musical Chicago, bringing her star power to a show that brilliantly satirizes celebrity culture.
“The beauty of theater is that you get to try something new every night,” Milano shared with The Associated Press. “That’s what I used to love about doing stage work. And that’s what I hope to rediscover with Chicago.”
Best known for her roles in Who’s the Boss? and Charmed, Milano will step into the role of Roxie Hart at the Ambassador Theatre, beginning September 16th for an eight-week run through November 10th.
For Milano, taking the stage is a return to her roots. She toured nationally in Annie at just 8 years old and has since starred in Wendy Wasserstein’s Tender Offer at the Off-Broadway Ensemble Studio Theatre and All Night Long at Second Stage. She also appeared in the first American musical adaptation of Jane Eyre and produced and starred in Butterflies Are Free in Los Angeles. Despite her extensive stage background, a Broadway role hadn’t aligned with her life until now. With her children—ages 9 and 12—settled in school and extracurricular activities, and her husband thriving in his career, the timing felt perfect.
“I just felt like when this offer came up, everything had fallen into place,” she said. “My 9-year-old daughter looked at me and said, ‘Mom, you’d be crazy not to do this.’”
In recent years, Milano has appeared in films like Brazen and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, as well as Netflix’s series Insatiable. She’s also leveraged her fame and voice in the #MeToo movement, launched lines of clothing, jewelry, and eyewear, and hosted Project Runway All-Stars on Lifetime.
Set in the 1920s, Chicago is a biting satire on how the entertainment industry and media turn criminals into celebrities. The show features Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, dazzling costumes, and show-stopping numbers like “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango.”
Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and dancer who murders her lover when he threatens to leave her. To avoid conviction, Roxie hires Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to help her dupe the public, the media, and her rival inmate, Velma Kelly, by creating sensational headlines.
Milano is determined to honor Ann Reinking—the iconic Fosse collaborator who redefined Roxie in the 1996 revival and crafted the Fosse-style choreography. “I really want to pay homage to her choreography and the way she portrayed Roxie. Because she was so profound.”
The fame-hungry heroine at the center of Chicago has been portrayed by dozens of women since the show’s 1996 revival, including Pam Anderson, Melanie Griffith, Christie Brinkley, Marilu Henner, Brooke Shields, Lisa Rinna, Gretchen Mol, Ashlee Simpson, Brandy Norwood, Jennifer Nettles, and Robin Givens. Milano hopes fans will come to see her more than once. “I guarantee you I’ll keep finding new things—keep finding those little moments that will hopefully add to the legacy of all the women who’ve played Roxie before me.”
