No Broadway revival has run for more years than Chicago The Musical, which returned to New York’s biggest stage in 1996.
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For years, George and the cast of Chicago have traveled disparate, parallel paths, exciting starkly different audiences with long runs and entertaining performances. Come January, those paths will converge. Chicago The Musical announced via its Twitter that George will make his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn.
George has already received positive reviews for his stage performances in Nashville, where he has taken on roles such as Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and the lead in The Whipping Man, produced by Nashville Repertory Theatre.
The official press release from Chicago The Musical was happy to sing his acting accolades on stage and screen:
George, a modern-day Renaissance man, makes his way to Broadway 20 years after he won the Heisman Trophy in 1995 for his exploits at Ohio State. In nine years as an NFL quarterback, George rushed for more than 10,000 yards, earning trips to four Pro Bowls and in 2000, the distinction of being a first-team all-pro running back.
He didn’t slow down in his post-playing career, earning an MBA from Northwestern University and joining the board of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville.
Now, the former lead back will take on a lead role, depicting defense attorney Billy Flynn — a mischievous albeit charming character.
George seems poised to outlast another athlete that made the jump to Broadway. Muhammad Ali appeared in “Buck White” in 1969. The show only lasted seven performances.
And if George and Chicago The Musical have had any common goal in mind since 1996, it’s this: Stop at nothing to keep the run going.
