NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� hopes to charm audiences when she makes her Broadway debut this fall in adding her celebrity to a show that skewers celebrity culture.
鈥淭he beauty of theater is that you get to try new things every night,鈥� she tells The Associated Press. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I used to love about doing theater. And that鈥檚 what I hope that I can find again in doing 鈥楥hicago.鈥欌��
Milano, former star of 鈥淲ho's the Boss?" and "Charmed,鈥� steps into the role of Roxie Hart at the Ambassador Theatre beginning Sept. 16 for an eight-week engagement through Nov. 10.
For Milano, hitting the stage is a return to her roots. She was in a national touring company of 鈥淎nnie鈥� at age 8 and she went on to star in Wendy Wasserstein's 鈥淭ender Offer鈥� at the off-Broadway Ensemble Studio Theater and 鈥淎ll Night Long鈥� at Second Stage. She was in the first American musical adaptation of "Jane Eyre" and produced and starred in a Los Angeles production of 鈥淏utterflies Are Free.鈥�
Milano says doing a stint on Broadway never felt right until now. Her children 鈥� ages 9 and 12 鈥� are settled in school and extracurricular activities, and her husband is in a good place in his career.
鈥淚t just felt like when this offer came up that everything fell into place,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y 9-year-old daughter looked at me and said, 鈥楳om, you would be an idiot not to do this.鈥欌��
In recent years, she was in the movies 鈥淏razen鈥� and 鈥淲et Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later鈥� and the Netflix series 鈥淚nsatiable.鈥� Milano also leant her stardom and voice to the #MeToo movement, launched clothing, jewelry and eyewear lines and has been a host of Lifetime鈥檚 鈥淧roject Runway All-Stars.鈥�
Set in the 1920s, 鈥淐hicago鈥� is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. It has Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, skimpy outfits and killer songs such as 鈥淎ll That Jazz鈥� and 鈥淐ell Block Tango.鈥�
鈥淐hicago鈥� tells the story of Roxie, a housewife and dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to leave her. To avoid conviction, Roxie hires Chicago鈥檚 slickest criminal lawyer to help her dupe the public, media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by creating shocking headlines.
Milano says she wants to honor 鈥� the iconic Fosse collaborator who originated Roxie in the 1996 revival and created the choreography in Fosse鈥檚 style. "I鈥檓 really trying to pay homage to her choreography and her portrayal of Roxie. Because she was profound.鈥�
The celebrity-craving heroine at the heart of 鈥淐hicago鈥� has been played by dozens of women since the show opened in 1996, including Melanie Griffith, Christie Brinkley, Marilu Henner, Brooke Shields, Lisa Rinna, Gretchen Mol, Ashlee Simpson, Brandy Norwood, and Robin Givens.
Milano hopes fans will come and see her more than once. 鈥淚 guarantee you I鈥檓 going to keep finding things 鈥� keep finding little moments that will, hopefully, add onto the legacy of all the women who came before me.鈥�
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
