CATHERINE ZETA JONES - CATHERINE ZETA-JONES SLATED TO PLAY STAGE MUM IN GYPSY

CATHERINE ZETA-JONES is set to dust off her dancing shoes to play another great stage diva, MAMA ROSE. The Welsh actress, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of murderess VELMA KELLY in CHICAGO, is tipped to play the ultimate stage mother in a remake of cult movie musical GYPSY. According to New York Post columnist LIZ SMITH, WEINSTEIN brothers HARVEY and BOB, who championed Chicago, are behind the new project, and they're reportedly keen for ROB MARSHALL to reteam with Zeta-Jones and direct. The film will be the latest adaptation of the smash-hit SONDHEIM + STYNE stage musical, which opened on Broadway, New York to rave reviews in 1959 and ran for 702 performances, garnering eight Tony nominations along the way. Revivals starring ANGELA LANSBURY and BERNADETTE PETERS have all been huge stage successes in New York. A 1962 film version of the musical starred ROSLIND RUSSELL as Mama Rose and NATALIE WOOD as her talented daughter, who becomes infamous stripper GYPSY ROSE LEE.