Chicago: Brent Barrett to return as Billy Flynn
Olivier Award nominee Brent Barrett will return to the role of 'Billy Flynn' from 20 Jan 2014 in the Tony Award winning musical Chicago, playing at the Ambassador Theatre. Barrett, who assumes the role from Ryan Silverman, last performed as 'Billy Flynn' from 19 Dec 2011 - 15 Jan 2012.
Barrett's recently starred as 'Captain Hook' in a National Touring production of 'Peter Pan,' previously to that he starred as 'The Phantom' in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular.'
His other Broadway credits include 'Annie Get Your Gun'(1999), 'Candide' (1997), 'Grand Hotel' (1989) 'Dance a Little Closer' (1983) and 'West Side Story' (1980). Barrett received an Olivier Award nomination for his starring role in the London premiere of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of 'Kiss Me, Kate.' He has recorded two solo albums - 'The Alan Jay Lerner Album' and 'The Kander and Ebb Album.'
Chicago currently stars Amra-Fay Wright (Velma Kelly), Bianca Marroquin (Roxie Hart), *Ryan Silverman (Billy Flynn), Bebe Neuwirth (Matron 'Mama' Morton), Christopher Fitzgerald (Amos Hart) and R. Lowe (Mary Sunshine).
*As previously announced Elvis Stojko will play the role of 'Billy Flynn' from 17 - 23 Mar 2014.
Now in its eighteenth year on the Great White Way, Chicago is the second longest-running production currently playing on Broadway, Broadway's longest-running musical revival, as well as the longest-running American show in Broadway history.
The show has been playing on Broadway since 14 Nov 1996, it moved to the Ambassador Theatre on the 29 Jan 2003, where it is currently booking period through to 31 Aug 2014.
Chicago follows not your usual housewife, Roxie Hart, who gains dubious notoriety when she kills her boyfriend, invents her defence and manipulates everyone from her trustworthy husband to the fickle media and the unsuspecting public. The show features the well known songs, 'All That Jazz,' 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'Mr. Cellophane'.
Chicago has music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Book by Bob Fosse & Fred Ebb.
The musical is directed by Walter Bobbie, with choreography by Ann Reinking, scene design by John Lee Beatty, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Scott Lehrer.
Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording. It is the fifth longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival.
Brent BarrettOriginally published on