Pamela Andersonis one of the world’s biggest celebrities, holding the record of the most Playboy covers by any person. She also went on to Hollywood fame after appearing as Lisa onHome Improvementfor two seasons before taking on the starring role of C.J. Parker onBaywatch. As of late, her private life has been getting a lot of public attention with Hulu’sPam & Tommyand now aNetflix documentary about her life, in association with the actress herself. It was also just announced that Anderson will be making her Broadway debut next month in the musicalChicago, perThe Hollywood Reporter.
Chicagowon six Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, two Olivier Awards, and a Grammy Award. With music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and choreography by Bob Fosse, the original Broadway production opened in 1975 and ran for 936 performances. Even people who haven’t seen the musical have probably heard its killer songs such as “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango.” After all,Chicago’s1996 revival holds the record as the longest-running musical revival in Broadway history, and Hollywood made an Academy Award-winning feature film based on the musical in 2002.
Chicagotells the story of Roxie Hart, an aspiring vaudevillian dancer, who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to leave her. Roxie hires a lawyer to help her dupe the public to avoid conviction. Anderson will play the role of Roxie from April 12th - June 5th at the Ambassador Theatre in New York. TheV.I.P.alum is joining a long roster of talented actresses who have played the celebrity-craving heroine Roxie over the years, including Spice Girl Mel B, Grammy Award winner Jennifer Nettles, Disney Channel star Veronica Dunne, Rumer Willis, Grammy Award winner Brandy Norwood, Christie Brinkley, Ashlee Simpson, Michelle Williams, Lisa Rinna, Brooke Shields, and Melanie Griffith.
“FromBaywatchto Broadway. I am inspired by the unexpected,” Anderson said in a statement. “This is it, and I will not hold back anymore. I am letting go. I am ready to see what I’m capable of. ForChicago, I’ll be putting all my cards on the table. I am doubling down – on me.”
Related:These Are Pamela Anderson’s Best Performances, Ranked
Chicago Producer Asked Pamela Anderson a Decade Ago
Although there has been renewed interest in Anderson lately, Chicago’s producer Barry Weissler says that’s not why he’s interested in her for the part. He first approached the actress about the Roxie part over a decade ago, but their schedules didn’t work. Weissler said he was interested in hiring her for the role because:
“Pam is a very moral person, extremely moral. She cares about animals. She cares about the planet. She cares about people. The difference between her as Pam and Roxie is Roxie doesn’t care about anyone but herself, and she doesn’t give a damn about the outside world as long as she can be famous. So Pam comes with totally opposite attributes in life, but she fits because of her celebrity, what she’s gone through in life.
Now that we’re doing it, it’s even more opportune. It’s more timely. She’s really standing for something now – as a professional, as an activist, as a very talented lady. She can surprise a lot of people. The woman has acting chops. She certainly can dance, and her singing voice is quite good. So here we go.”
Many attribute the production’s success to its decision to recast different high-profile celebrities in all the lead spots. As THR put it, the show can attribute its success to “basically asking famous performers to join a musical about the venality of celebrities – and mold the show around their strengths.”
