BREAKING Slovakia's prime minister injured in shooting
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon and taken to hospital.
One of the planet's biggest celebrities will play a woman desperately craving fame when Pamela Anderson makes her Broadway debut next month in the musical "Chicago," The Associated Press has learned.
Anderson will play Roxie Hart from April 12-June 5 at the Ambassador Theatre, a remarkable union of one of the most recognizable sex icons of the last few decades with a show that skewers fame.
"From `Baywatch' to Broadway. I am inspired by the unexpected," Anderson told the AP in a Monday statement. "This is it, and I will not hold back anymore. I am letting go. I am ready to see what I'm capable of. For `Chicago,' I'll be putting all my cards on the table. I am doubling down -- on me."
Set in the 1920s, the musical is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. It has Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, skimpy outfits and killer songs such as "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango."
"Chicago" tells the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to leave her. To avoid conviction, Roxie hires Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to help her dupe the public, media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by creating shocking headlines.
"Pam is a very moral person, extremely moral. She cares about animals. She cares about the planet. She cares about people," said producer Barry Weissler. "The difference between her as Pam and Roxie is Roxie doesn't care about anyone but herself, and she doesn't give a damn about the outside world as long as she can be famous. So Pam comes with totally opposite attributes in life, but she fits because of her celebrity, what she's gone through in life."
Anderson had a breakout role on "Home Improvement" as a "Tool Time girl" before getting global attention for playing C.J. Parker on "Baywatch." Her credits include "Barb Wire" and "Superhero Movie."
There's been renewed interest in Anderson's life story thanks to the Hulu series "Pam & Tommy," which stars Lily James as Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee and fictionalizes their whirlwind romance. Anderson also this month announced a new authorized documentary about her life upcoming from Netflix.
Weissler said he had approached Anderson about the Roxie part over a decade ago, but their schedules didn't work.
"Now that we're doing it, it's even more opportune. It's more timely. She's really standing for something now -- as a professional, as an activist, as a very talented lady. She can surprise a lot of people. The woman has acting chops. She certainly can dance, and her singing voice is quite good. So here we go."
The celebrity-craving heroine at the heart of "Chicago" has been played by dozens of women since the show opened in 1996, including Melanie Griffith, Christie Brinkley, Marilu Henner, Brooke Shields, Lisa Rinna, Gretchen Mol, Ashlee Simpson, Brandy Norwood, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Givens.
The revival has managed to last a quarter of a century thanks to the savvy decision to cast celebrity replacements in all the lead spots -- basically asking famous performers to join a musical about the venality of celebrities -- and mold the show around their strengths.
Just some of the other stars who have done stints in the show include Sofia Vergara, Paige Davis, Rita Wilson, Usher, Huey Lewis, Michael C. Hall, Jerry Springer and Billy Zane. A 2002 film version starred Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere.
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon and taken to hospital.
As wildfires rage in British Columbia, the family of a nine-year-old who died last summer is trying to protect people from poor air quality due to smoke this year.
A new COVID-19 subvariant is dominant in Canada, representing just over 30 per cent of cases in the country, but infectious disease experts say there’s no sign it’ll evolve into a summer 'scarient.'
A massive manhunt was underway in France on Wednesday for armed assailants who ambushed a prison convoy, killing two prison officers, seriously injuring three others and springing the inmate they were escorting. The prime minister vowed the gang would be caught, saying, "They will pay."
The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of home sales in April rose 10.1 per cent compared with a year ago, but attributed the gain primarily to the early Easter long weekend.
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
The sun produced its biggest flare in nearly two decades Tuesday, just days after severe solar storms pummelled Earth and created dazzling northern lights in unaccustomed places.
Wildfires continue to impact air quality across Western Canada, with conditions expected to worsen on Wednesday before improving.
A Malahide Township resident is out more than $2 million following a romance scam.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.