Exclusive: See Brandy as the Lovable Murderess Roxie Hart in Chicago

Chicago is slowing catching up to Phantom of the Opera as the longest-running show on Broadway. In over 7,600 performances, Roxie Hart has been played by enough actresses that they could start a support group for recovering Roxies—or at least a softball team. And this month, Brandy Norwood, widely known as “Brandy,” will make her Broadway debut as the lovable murderess.

We asked Brandy if Roxie’s attitude seeps into her own personality. “Roxie is really tough, but she’s really sweet. And I feel like I’m the same way. I can be really tough, and stand up for myself and speak my mind, and then I’ll bake you a cookie,” she said, laughing.

Brandy’s name conjures up a little nostalgia for those who watched Moesha after school, or the TV version of Cinderella, opposite Whitney Houston. She’s recently starred in The Game, on BET, but if you follow her on Instagram, you know she’s been training for Chicago for a few months now. “I like tennis, boxing. I like to do things that don’t remind me of the gym,” she said. “I kick ass in tennis, too. If I started at like five, I could probably go pro!”

The training is for endurance; Brandy will play Roxie in the Tony-award-winning show for eight weeks, starting April 28. “I’ve had experience acting in front of an audience,” she told us, “but nothing where it’s live every single night. It’s completely different from anything I’ve ever done. And I still have no idea how it feels because I haven’t done the show yet! It’s all in my imagination.”

Source: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/04/brandy-chicago-broadway-photos-jason-bell