Brooke Shields

In the Broadway musical 'The Addams Family,' Brooke Shields has signed on to play Morticia Addams, starting in June. She'll replace Bebe Neuwirth, who originated the starring role when the production opened over a year ago. Neuwirth has been in the show for 15 months, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and her last performance is June 26.

Nathan Lane (who played Gomez Addams) has already exited the production; he was recently replaced by Roger Rees, who appeared on 'Cheers' in the early '90s -- the same series that gave Neuwirth her big break.

This is the fifth time Sheilds, 45, will star on the Great White Way as a replacement for other actresses.
She took over as Rizzo in 'Grease' in 1995, she inherited the lead role in 'Cabaret' from Gina Gershon in 2001, she replaced Donna Murphy in 'Wonderful Town' in 2004, and she stepped into the role of Roxie in 'Chicago' in 2005. Last year, Shields appeared in the rotating cast of female stars headlining Nora Ephron's off-Broadway hit 'Love, Loss and What I Wore.'

A post-college career lull in Hollywood originally prompted the onetime teen model, 'Suddenly Susan' star and author to step onstage years ago. "I thought the shortest way to get my career going would be through Broadway," Shields recalled in a 2010 interview. "If you can handle it and grow in it, there's nothing better as a challenge than musical theater."