Wopat once again steps into the shoes of slick lawyer Billy Flynn. He succeeds Obba Babatundé, who played his final performance July 27.

Wopat joins a cast that currently includes Nancy Lemenager as Velma Kelly, Michelle DeJean as Roxie Hart, Kevin Chamberlin as Amos Hart, Carol Woods as Matron "Mama" Morton and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.

The long-running musical will celebrate its 12th anniversary and its 5,000th performance on Broadway Nov. 14.

Tom Wopat received Tony nominations for his performances in A Catered Affair and in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun (opposite Bernadette Peters). He has also appeared on Broadway in I Love My Wife, City of Angels, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, 42nd Street and Glengarry Glen Ross. Perhaps best known for his seven-season run on "The Dukes of Hazzard," Wopat has released several albums with CBS and Capitol Records. His latest disc is entitled "Dissertation on the State of Bliss."

Chicago won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Ken Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Bob Fosse. Chicago plays the Ambassador Theatre, located at 219 West 49th Street.

Visit www.chicagothemusical.com for additional information.