George Hamilton was under the weather Nov. 19 and didn't make his planned Broadway bow as Billy Flynn in Chicago at the Shubert Theatre, but a spokesman said he's expected to appear Nov. 21.
In the wake of the Nov. 14 fifth anniversary of the Broadway revival of Chicago, Hollywood leading man Hamilton will be making his debut on the Great White Way, giving us the old "Razzle Dazzle" as slick lawyer Billy Flynn.
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The John Kander-Fred-Ebb-Bob Fosse musical won six 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Revival and has had a revolving door of American and international stars playing the corrupt and comic characters over the years. Movie star Hamilton — smooth and perpetually tanned — plays the smooth lawyer Flynn opposite Nana Visitor as Roxie, Donna Marie Asbury as Velma, P.J. Benjamin as Amos, Roz Ryan as Mama Morton and R. Bean as Mary Sunshine.
* Hamilton was initially to start on Nov. 12, but after only two weeks of rehearsal, it was decided to give him another couple of days to get acclimated. His three-month engagement will mark his Broadway debut after many appearances in film and TV. Among his pictures are "Love at First Bite," "Zorro, the Gay Blade," "Godfather III," and the forthcoming "Offkey" and Woody Allen's "The Hollywood Ending." He recently starred opposite Joan Collins in "Love Letters" in San Francisco.
Billy Flynn manages to get killers acquitted using his charm, bribes and good looks — to say nothing of his high baritone. "All I Care About is Love" is his ironic first number.
Chicago is the second longest-running revival in Broadway history, next to the revival of Oh! Calcutta!, which played 5,959 performances at the Edison Theatre, 1976-1989.
Performances play the Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th Street. For reservations, call (212) 239-6200.
