Hal Linden, a New York musical theatre fixture in the 1960s and early 70s, before becoming TV's "Barney Miller," returns to the stage Aug. 6-8 when he begins playing Billy Flynn in the national tour of Chicago, at the Bushnell in Hartford, CT.

Linden is expected to join the Las Vegas company, replacing Ben Vereen, in late August. That staging, which opened in March 1999 at the Mandalay Bay Resort, is expected to continue at least into the fall.

Linden was a clarinet and a big band singer before he studied acting with Paul Mann and Lloyd Richards. His break came in 1958 when he understudied Sydney Chaplin in Bells Are Ringing. He eventually took over the role and went on the national tour (singing "Just in Time," the show's big hit.).

Linden appeared in 18 Broadway shows, including On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Subways Are for Sleeping, The Apple Tree, Ilya Darling and, most recently, The Sisters Rosensweig and I'm Not Rappaport. He won the Tony Award playing patriarch Mayer Rothschild in the Sheldon Harnick-Jerry Bock musical, The Rothschilds.

For information about the Bushnell engagement, call (860) 987-5900.