Vicki Lewis, the daffy, vampy character actress who appeared in Broadway's Damn Yankees and on TV's "Newsradio," returns to Broadway in Chicago, July 20.

Lewis will essay the role of Velma Kelly, a part she played on tour and in the Las Vegas sitdown of the smash Kander and Ebb musical about getting away with murder, tunefully.

At the Shubert Theatre in New York City, Lewis stars opposite Charlotte d'Amboise, who plays Roxie Hart. Also featured in the Tony Award-winning revival are Brent Barrett, Marcia Lewis and P.J. Benjamin.

Sharon Lawrence, Mamie Ducan Gibbs and Donna Marie Asbury were the most recent Broadway Velmas.

* Lewis, who first came to New York notice in an American Jewish Theatre revival of I Can Get It For You Wholesale, is heard on the cast album of the Damn Yankees revival (she was sports writer Gloria Thorp) and on concert or studio recordings of Pal Joey and Girl Crazy. The score of Chicago includes "All That Jazz" and "Razzle Dazzle." Walter Bobbie directs.

For Chicago ticket information, call (212) 239 6200.