Alexandra Burke joins West End cast of Chicago as Roxie Hart
Updated on 20 February 2019
The West End revival of Chicago, which is now playing at the Phoenix Theatre to much critical acclaim, has just announced that multi-platinum-selling singer and actress Alexandra Burke will be starring as the new Roxie Hart next month. She will be joining Martin Kemp, Josefina Gabrielle, Mazz Murray, and Paul Rider.
Pictured: Stunning songstress-turned-actress Alexandra Burke joins Chicago
Fresh off the stage from her critically acclaimed performance as Svetlana in Chess, Alexandra Burke is set to join the London cast of Chicago next month, going from one West End revival to another. Burke will be replacing Sarah Soetaert as Roxie Hart and will portray the vixen from 13 August until 14 October 2018.
She will be performing alongside Martin Kemp as Billy Flynn, Josefina Gabrielle as Velma Kelly, Mazz Muray as Mama Morton, and Paul Rider as Amos Hart. Martin Kemp will be finishing his role on 1 September 2018.
Alexandra Burke became a household name in 2008 when she won the 5th series of UK’s The X Factor. Following her victory, she released a smash-hit cover version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, which rose to the top of the UK Christmas Chart that same year and was certified double platinum. The single also broke European records after it sold over 105,000 digital copies in just one day, breaking the previous record held by Leona Lewis’s A Moment Like This. Burke’s rendition of Hallelujah also became the fastest-selling single released by a woman in the UK.
After making a name for herself in the music industry, Alexandra Burke eventually crossed over into acting. In June 2014, she replaced Beverley Knight as Rachel Marron in the Adelphi Theatre production of The Bodyguard, a musical adapted from the 1992 film of the same name that starred the late Whitney Houston. Burke reprised her role as the fictional popstar for the UK tour of The Bodyguard (2015-2016) before being cast in Sister Act: The Musical (2016-17), another show based on a 1992 film, which starred Whoopi Goldberg.
Following her role as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, Burke returned to reality television as a contestant in Strictly Come Dancing and made it all the way to the finals. She released her third studio album earlier this year before being cast in Chess.
Chicago is a multi-award-winning show, penned by Kander and Ebb and follows Roxie Hart as she is incarcerated and tried for murdering her lover. The West End revival of Chicago opened earlier this year on 12 April at the Phoenix Theatre and is currently booking until 5 January 2019.
Witness multi-talented superstar Alexandra Burke do what she does best – sing and dance! Don’t be a ‘funny honey’ and book your tickets early for the best seats in the house!
Purchase your tickets to Chicago here.
By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
Ephram is a jack of all trades and enjoys attending theatre, classical music concerts and the opera.