Amy Spanger Takes on Roxie Again on Broadway’s ‘Chicago’

Amy Spanger returns to the role of Roxie Hart in the current Broadway revival of “Chicago” tonight, September 14.

Spanger first played the Hart role of the merry murderess on Broadway back in 2002, and she has most recently been seen performing the role of Gwendolyn in the Williamstown Theatre Festival performance of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” That production was directed by former “Frasier” actor David Hyde Pierce. Her additional Broadway credits include “Rock of Ages,” “Elf,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Urinetown,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “The Wedding Singer.” She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in the latter production.

Spanger also has an extensive television resume, and has appeared in series including “Bored to Death,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Six Feet Under,” “Ed,” “Becker” and “Royal Pains.” She also appeared in the film “Synecdoche, N.Y.,” which was directed by Charlie Kaufman.

She will join the Broadway cast of “Chicago” that currently stars Raymond Bokhou as Amos Hart, Carl Woods as Matron “Mama” Morton, Terra C. MacLeod as Velma Kelly and Brent Barrett as Billy Finn. The production made other news recently when it was announced that country music star (and dad to Miley) Billy Ray Cyrus will make his Broadway debut in the role of Finn starting November 5.

The current revival of the hit musical won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997, after it opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in 1996. The musical then transferred to the Shubert Theatre in February 1997, and finally moved again in January 2003 to the Ambassador Theatre, where it currently plays.

The original Broadway production opened at the 46^th Street Theatre in 1975 and ran for 936 productions before it closed in 1977. Two years after that, a West End version opened and ran for around 600 performances.