Louis Gossett Jr., the Academy Award-winning actor from "An Officer and a Gentleman," will sing and dance as Billy Flynn in Broadway's Chicago beginning Feb. 18 at the Shubert Theatre. He'll stay with the show through April 7, according to a Pete Sanders office spokesperson.

The role of the slick lawyer Billy was recently played by George Hamilton, who, owing to an injury, left the role two weeks earlier than his skedded Feb. 17 departure date. Eric Jordan Young has been playing Billy in the interim.

Gossett, who was Richard Gere's gruff drill instructor in "An Officer and a Gentleman," isn't as unlikely a replacement as you might think: His musical theatre credits include Golden Boy and Lost in the Stars. Film credits include "A Raisin in the Sun," "The River Niger," "Iron Eagle" and such TV productions as "Roots" (Emmy Award) and "The Josephine Baker Story" (Golden Globe Award).

Gossett joins Roxanne Carrasco (Velma), Belle Calaway (Roxie), Michele Pawk (Mamma) and P.J. Benjamin (Amos) in the hit revival of the musical by Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb.

For ticket information, call (212) 239-6200.