Ruthie Henshall, who made a sultry New York stage debut in the Encores! production of Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, makes her Broadway debut May 25 as Velma Kelly in Chicago.

Her co-star as Roxie Hart was to be Sandy Duncan, but Duncan is still recovering from a broken foot. Enter Belle Calaway, lauded for her Roxie performances on the road, who'll play the part in New York May 25-31.

Karen Ziemba, a Chicago veteran who just completed a Broadway run as Roxie May 23, will return to the part June 1, with Duncan expected sometime in June.

The British Henshall originated the role of Roxie in the London version of the revival of the John Kander-Fred Ebb-Bob Fosse musical but switched roles when she crossed the Atlantic. She briefly played Velma in the national tour of Chicago at Boston's Shubert Theatre, leaving May 16 to prepare for the Broadway gig.

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Callaway recently went on as Roxie in Beantown April 22-25 while Ann Reinking geared up to begin shows there April 27 after a year of shepherding the new Broadway revue, Fosse.

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