Recent Masquerade star Nik Walker will give ’em the old razzle dazzle in the long-running production of Chicago beginning May 4 at the Ambassador Theatre.
Walker will step into the role of slick lawyer Billy Flynn the same day the Tony-winning revival welcomes back Rachel Schur (Jersey Boys, national tour of A Chorus Line) to the role of merry murderess Roxie Hart.
Walker’s Broadway credits also include Sir Galahad in Spamalot and Aaron Burr in Hamilton. On screen, he’s been seen in Blue Bloods, Law and Order: SVU, and President Curtis.
Check out Chicago merchandise in the Playbill Store
The current cast of Chicago features Whitney Leavitt as Roxie Hart, Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Mark Ballas as Billy Flynn, Jacqueline B. Arnold as Matron “Mama” Morton, Greg Hildreth as Amos Hart, and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.
The company also includes Tia Altinay, Zach Bravo, Austin Dunn, Jennifer Dunne, John Michael Fiumara, Danielle Marie Gonzalez, Chelsea James, Christopher Kelley, James T. Lane, Jenny Laroche, Marty Lawson, Joseph London, Kristen Faith Oei, Denny Paschall, Mariah Reives, Sean Samuels, Samantha Sturm, and Jeff Sullivan.
READ: Whitney Leavitt Knows What You Think of Her, and She’s Happy to Prove You Wrong
The revival of Chicago began life as one of the three annual Encores!
presentations offered by City Center. The musical opened on Broadway at
the Richard Rodgers Theatre November 14, 1996, where it remained
through February 1997. The musical transferred to the Shubert Theatre,
and played that house through January 26, 2003. The revival reopened at
the Ambassador Theatre January 29 that year.
Since its debut in 1996, Chicago has played in 36 countries
and been seen by 33 million people worldwide. It is now the
second-longest running show in Broadway history (after the recently
closed The Phantom of the Opera).
READ: How the Chicago Costumes Have Evolved Over 25 Years
With a book by the late Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Ebb, Chicago
features direction by Walter Bobbie, choreography by the late Ann
Reinking, set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey
Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer,
and casting by ARC.
The current production, produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, won the
Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for
actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Bobbie, lighting
designer Billington, and Reinking. The original production was directed
and choreographed by the late Fosse.