Broadway Features and Reviews
Nicole Richie in Broadway Show?
By Christopher Moore, Broadway Magazine
Hooray for Meta-Theatre! Pop culture and Broadway culture align sometimes, and few Broadway shows have the built in logical connection to utilize celebrity like Chicago. According to a recent report in Us Weekly, celebrity Nicole Richie is considering accepting the role of Roxie Hart in Kander and Ebb’s Broadway smash. It would be ideal casting. There could be no more ideal Roxie than Richie, in the same way that Reba transformed Annie, Get Your Gun with her authenticity and genuine talent, a Richie Roxie would bring that heightened sense of joy and meaning to one of Broadway’s smartest musicals. The musical is all about the cult of celebrity and Richie knows that game better than anyone. When was the last time a Broadway casting rumor was covered by Us Weekly?
All this is pure speculation. Us Weekly reports that it is in “the super early stages.” If it does happen, Richie would join Grammy winner Mya and would make the long-running Broadway show an even longer running Broadway show. No doubt it would put the box-office in the top five. For musical theatre purists, Richie should be a welcome Roxie as well. She embodies the core of what this particular Broadway musical is all about. Do we have a modern day Roxie better than Richie or Paris Hilton? Of course, Richie wouldn’t kill anyone. That said, both Roxie and Nicole Richie share a certain appetite for the media spotlight, and a talent for finding media attention.
The brilliant Broadway musical comedy by Kander and Ebb understands the modern tabloid culture in a way that is shrewdly entertaining. Bringing Richie to the production would do nothing to undermine the qualities that make Chicago not only one of the funniest musicals in town, but also one of the most insightful. While Richie may not have a Broadway resume, she has a celeb-currency that is spot on for Roxie. If the rumor becomes truth, this summer, the name on everybody’s lips could likely be “Richie.”
Nicole Richie, Broadway, Chicago, Roxie Hart, Kander, Ebb, Reba, Annie, Get Your Gun, Grammy, Mya
