Chicago: Roz Ryan to return as Mama Morton

Roz Ryan will return as 'Mama Morton' from 30 Nov 2009 in the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Chicago, replacing Kecia Lewis-Evans who plays her final performance on 29 Nov 2009.

This will be Ryan's seventh appearance as Matron "Mama" Morton, a role she first played in 2002. Ryan's other Broadway credits include: 'Ain't Misbehavin' (1978), 'Dreamgirls' (1981), 'One Mo' Time' (2002) and 'The Pajama Game' (2006 revival).

As previously announced, 30 Nov 2009 is also the date that multi-platinum recording artist Ashlee Simpson-Wentz will make her Broadway stage debut playing 'Roxie Hart'

Chicago currently stars Deidre Goodwin (Velma Kelly), Bonnie Langford (Roxie Hart), Brent Barrett (Billy Flynn), Roz Ryan (Mama Morton), Kecia Lewis-Evans (Mama Morton), Ray Bokhour (Amos Hart) and R. Lowe (Mary Sunshine).

Now celebrating thirteen years on the Great White Way, Chicago is the second longest-running production currently playing on Broadway, the seventh longest rnning show in Broadway history, and Broadway's longest-running musical revival.

The show has been playing on Broadway since 14 Nov 1996, it moved to the Ambassador Theatre on the 29 Jan 2003, where it is currently booking period through to 4 Jul 2010.

Chicago follows not your usual housewife, Roxie Hart, who gains dubious notoriety when she kills her boyfriend, invents her defence and manipulates everyone from her trustworthy husband to the fickle media and the unsuspecting public. The show features the well known songs, 'All That Jazz,' 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'Mr. Cellophane'.

Chicago has music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Book by Bob Fosse & Fred Ebb.

The musical is directed by Walter Bobbie, with choreography by Ann Reinking, scene design by John Lee Beatty, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Scott Lehrer.

Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording. It is the eighth longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival.