 Usher has recently signed on to make his Broadway debut as the
character Billy Flynn in the hit musical Chicago as the show celebrates
its tenth year on the Great White Way.
The five-time Grammy winner, who in 2005 announced he
was taking a break from performing , has had his hand in a number of
acting projects including film and television. Now he can add Broadway
to his already impressive belt.
"This is a very exciting time in my career," the 27-year-old said in a
statement. "I have always admired Broadway actors for their
showmanship, dedication and focus that goes into performing live on
stage every night. Being on Broadway allows you to connect to audiences
in a whole new way that's different from music and movies."
The Barry and Fran Weissler-produced show is the winner of six Tony
Awards and, as Broadway's longest running musical revival, has been
running since 1996. The 2004 film version starred Richard Gere in the
Flynn role along with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger.
Usher's gig as Flynn starts August 22 and will run through to October
1. Other actors who portrayed Billy Flynn include Huey Lewis, Wayne
Brady, Taye Diggs, Alan Thicke and Billy Zane.
As an actor, Usher's credits include television shows such as Moesha,
7th Heaven, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Twilight Zone, Soul Food and
The Bold and the Beautiful. He portrayed Marvin Gaye in an episode of
American Dreams, and is slated to produce and star in The Ballad of
Walter Holmes, a flick about an R&B singer.
Usher's last set, Confessions, sold over eight million, debuted
at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 featured the transatlantic hits
"Confessions," Yeah!" and "Burn."
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