Cuba Gooding Jr. to Make British Stage Debut in Chicago
Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. will make his British stage and musical debut as Billy Flynn in the upcoming West End transfer of the ongoing Broadway revival of Chicago.
Further casting for the production will be announced at a later date. This production, which begins March 26 at the Phoenix Theatre, marks the return of the musical after a five-and-a-half-year absence from London.
Featuring classic tunes by John Kander and Fred Ebb, Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media, and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her crime into a barrage of sensational headlines. Recipient of six 1997 Tony Awards, the 1996 revival is directed by Walter Bobbie.