Back Behind Bars! Brandy Gets Ready for Her CHICAGO Return!

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

Grammy Award winner Brandi Norwood is stepping back into the role of Roxy Hart

for 17 performances only from August 17th through the 31st in the Tony Award winning record-breaking musical smash Chicago

And I caught up with Brandi and producer Barry Weisler here at the legendary Sardis

to hide and what I feel I must reveal is more than I can

keep inside let me assure you it won't go away I can't assure you

it grows every day I was a one once but now I'm

weak cause I got my baby I did little baby look at my baby

and me what a way to end the summer bringing back Brandy

I love her she's so wonderful one of the best Roxys we've ever had

So it's exciting. So she did it first for you on Broadway, and then she did the Hollywood Pantages

And they did the Kennedy Center also in Washington, right? That was sold out. That was a dynamic run down to the Kennedy Center Beyond our dreams every night sold out You have had many people go into your show What makes Brandi so special with Chicago Oh she brings her own charisma very special personality

She's got all the talent. She can dance, she can sing, she can act. But it's that singular personality that wins the day

Here you are, you're back. I know, I'm excited, I'm so excited

I'm so excited for Broadway. It's nothing like Broadway. Being back with the Chicago family, what does it mean so far

Have you been to the theater? I have been to the theater. It means a lot. Everyone there, I just got a chance to know and they embraced me when I first got there years ago

And I'm happy to be back. And they didn't want me to leave. I didn't want to leave them

So we're just all going to have like a love fest when we all see each other today. Oh, tomorrow

Yeah. It's going to be great. It was a magical time for the first time around. Big undertaking

I mean, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse, and Reinking. I know

Oh, it's huge names, and I am just, oh, I was just so nervous, I wanted to do

the musical justice, I know how much it means to everybody, it's been around for longer than 20 years

so I just wanted to give my all, and that's what I did, I worked really hard, and I worked really hard this time

and so I gonna bring everything I have to the role this time as well What did you enjoy the most the first time around on Broadway with Roxy What I loved about it you know the first time is that every night was different

Every single night, it was just a different experience. Every audience was different

And you had to learn how to connect with the audience and find your drama, find your comedy

find everything that you had to connect with them. And I love that. I love that challenge

And I'm sure it's going to be the same this time. So I'm just excited. I'm excited. I'm a little bit more grounded in the role now because I've done it so many times

So I look forward to seeing what happens, like what is going to happen. I'm excited

Do you have a favorite Roxy moment that you do in the show? I do have a favorite Roxy moment. It's when everything is gone

You know, all the photographers, Billy, everybody's gone and I'm sitting there and I'm like, oh, my God, what am I going to do now

And I get to sing nowadays all by myself. And it's just a little bitty, tiny bit of the song

but it really means a lot to me just singing in that moment

because I'm sad. Everything that I've been through in the musical, you can just tell in that one moment

that I've just given up. And then I come up with this amazing idea

and the next time you see me, I'm on stage with Velma and you're with my cane and my hat

and I'm like, yes, we won. So it's great. It feels like that

And that what I love about the Broadway is that it feels like you not in a musical It feels like that your life in that moment You know what I mean I never explained it like that I so glad you asked me that You have it all in your muscle memory all that Fosse stuff Don you the moves

Yes, I have it all there. Yeah. You talked about a dream role

Not in Ryan King, but you know. You are close. You move

Ryan King is my favorite Roxy. And Ryan King and Bianca Merrick-Keene. Those are my favorite Roxys

You were talking about coming back to the theater. Dream roles. What's your dream role you want to come back in

My dream role is Annie Oakley. What is it about that role

It's the song. It is the song. This is, got no diamonds, got no pearls, but I'm still a lucky girl

Got the sun and the moon and the moon and the night. I love that. I want to do it

We'll put it out there to the millions of fans of Broadway world watching. Please, Broadway world, come on

Support me on that. I need that role. You are coming back for the incredible end of summer run here

What a way to come back to New York and what you're bringing to Broadway. What are you looking forward to tomorrow night, your first performance back on stage again

I'm just looking forward to all the smiles, all the laughs. I'm looking forward to seeing people after the show because I stay after and sign every autograph

I'm looking forward to, you know, just seeing what happens. And I'm just, oh my God, I'm just really, really excited

Really excited. I'm very, very blessed and thankful to be here