Gary Wilmot Joins Cast Of CHICAGO UK National Tour As 'Billy Flynn' 6/15-11/21

Gary Wilmot will join the cast of the UK National tour of the smash-hit musical "CHICAGO" to star as ‘Billy Flynn' from Monday 15 June until Saturday 21 November 2009. Emma Barton will continue to star as ‘Roxie Hart'.

Gary Wilmot, star of West End musicals including "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Me And My Girl", "Carmen Jones" and "Copacabana", has played major UK tours with "Oliver!", "Half a Sixpence", Willy Russell's "One For The Road", Alan Ayckbourn's "Confusions", and "Travels with My Aunt". More recently, Gary has appeared in "HMS Pinafore" at the Open Air Theatre Regent's Park and as ‘The Lion' in "The Wizard of Oz" at the Royal Festival Hall.

Emma Barton is best known for her role as ‘Honey Mitchell' in BBC1's "EastEnders". Her other television roles include "Spooks" on BBC1 and "Secret History" on Channel 4. Previous stage roles include ‘Peggy' in "The Secret Garden" (RSC), ‘Norma Cassidy' in "Victor/Victoria" (Bridewell) and ‘Marty' in "Grease" (Victoria Palace Theatre).
Recent reviews for Emma's ‘Roxie' include: "great...her comic scenes were a joy"; "excellent singing...brilliant acting...no way her performance could be faulted" and "stunning".

The following tour dates have now been confirmed:

Swan Theatre High Wycombe (15 - 20 June) Box Office - 01494 512 000

New Theatre Hull (22 - 27 June) Box Office - 01482 226 655

Derngate Theatre Northampton (6 - 11 July) Box Office - 01604 624 811

Royal Concert Hall Nottingham (13 - 18 July) Box Office - 0115 989 5555

Bristol Hippodrome (20 - 25 July) Box Office - 0844 847 2325

Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre (27 July - 1 August) Box Office - 0844 576 3000

Venue Cymru Llandudno (3 - 8 August) Box Office - 01492 872 000

Theatre Royal Plymouth (10 - 22 August) Box Office - 01752 267 222

Grand Opera House Belfast (24 August - 5 September) - Box Office - 028 9024 1919

Gaiety Theatre Dublin (7 - 19 September) Box Office - 00 353 1 677 1717

Southend Cliffs Pavilion (22 - 26 September) Box Office - 01702 351 135

Lyceum Sheffield (28 September - 3 October) Box Office - 0114 249 6000

Kings Theatre Glasgow (5 - 10 October) Box Office - 0871 297 5454

Hawth Theatre Crawley (12 - 17 October) Box Office - 01293 553 636

Palace Theatre Manchester (27 October - 7 November) Box Office - 0844 847 2275

Her Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen (16 - 21 November) Box Office - 01224 641 122
"CHICAGO", which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Rick Clarke. Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher. "CHICAGO" is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie.
"CHICAGO" opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London on 18 November 1997 to rave reviews, winning the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for 'Outstanding Musical Production' as well as the 1998 Critics Circle Drama Award for 'Best Musical', and immediately became a sell-out hit. The show in London, now at the Cambridge Theatre, has just entered its twelfth year. "CHICAGO" currently plays in New York, Japan, Denmark and on tour in the US, with forthcoming productions in Australia, Korea, Holland and Spain.
The National UK Tour of "CHICAGO" is produced by David Ian Productions in association with the Broadway producers Barry and Fran Weissler. Further dates and casting announcements to follow.

www.chicagothemusical.com/uktour.php