McDonald Plays Billy Flynn in Chicago, Starting on July 1

By: Jun. 17, 2005
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TV and film star Christopher McDonald will be the latest in a long line of Billy Flynns, beginning on July 1st through September 4th; in his Broadway debut, he succeeds Bernard Dotson in the role of the song-and-dance man/attorney.

The prolific McDonald has appeared on TV in "Fat Actress," "North Shore," and "Veronica's Closet," among others, while his screen credits include Grind, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, The Man Who Wasn't There, The Perfect Storm, Requiem for a Dream, Nurse Betty, Isn't She Great, Happy Gilmore, Quiz Show, Thelma and Louise and Grumpy Old Men.

Chicago currently features Charlotte D'Amboise as Roxie Hart, Mary Testa as Matron "Mama" Morton, P.J. Benjamin as Amos Hart, R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine, and Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly, with Luba Mason coming into the role on June 28th.

The Broadway revival of Chicago, which opened on November 14th 1996, is currently playing at the Ambassador Theatre. The musical, with a score by Kander and Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse, opened with Ann Reinking as Roxie, Bebe Neuwirth as Velma, Joel Grey as Amos and James Naughton as Billy. Under Walter Bobbie's direction and Reinking's choreography, Chicago received 6 1997 Tonys (including Best Revival of a Musical). The revival, based on Bobbie's stylistically stripped-down Encores! staging, featured direction and choreography by Fosse in its original 1975 production.

Other Broadway Billy Flynns have included Brent Barrett, Hinton Battle, Michael Berresse, Chuck Cooper, Taye Diggs, Louis Gossett, Jr., Michael C. Hall, George Hamilton, Gregory Jbara, Clarke Peters, Ron Raines, Kevin Richardson, Alan Thicke, Robert Urich, Eric Jordan Young and Billy Zane.



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