By AMY SPIRO Israeli singer Shiri Maimon.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Next week, when the curtains rise on the long-running hit Broadway show Chicago, the spotlight will shine on none other than Shiri Maimon.Maimon, a popular Israeli singer, will slide into the role of Roxie Hart in the iconic musical, beginning on September 21. But the mother of two will play the role for just about a month before heading back to Israel to resume a busy schedule of performances and other commitments.Maimon’s time on stage will be a shining moment for Israeli performers, few of whom have ever played in one of Broadway’s prestigious New York theaters. Haim Topol and Dudu Fisher are notable exceptions. And when Maimon steps into the role, there will be a record-breaking two Israelis on the Great White Way, as earlier this year, renowned actor Sasson Gabai began playing the role on stage that he originated in the film The Band’s Visit.This won’t be Maimon’s biggest stage to date – in 2005, she represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest and came in an impressive fourth place.But the singer still has her sights focused on Israel, and as soon as she returns, she’ll be jumping in as a judge on the upcoming season of Kochav Haba.“At the end of October I’ll be coming straight back to filming,” Maimon wrote on Facebook in early August. “Coming home, literally. Coming back to Israel and coming back to the place where you first met me.”
