John O’Hurley will once again star as the silver-tongued prince of the courtroom, Billy Flynn, in Chicago. The Dancing with the Stars and Seinfeld alum, who has played the role three times on Broadway, will reprise his performance for the re-launch of the show’s national tour. O’Hurley is set to open the tour of the John Kander and Fred Ebb musical at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma, Washington on September 3, performing in select cities after that. Further casting has yet to be announced.
O’Hurley made his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in 2006 and returned to Chicago in 2010 and 2011. Best known for his performance as J. Peterman on TV’s Seinfeld, he appeared on the first season of Dancing with the Stars, in which he placed second with partner Charlotte Jorgensen. Since 2002, O’Hurley has hosted the Purina National Dog Show on NBC, and he hosted the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.
Set during the roaring “jazz hot” 1920s, Chicago tells the story of two rival vaudevillian murderesses locked up in Cook County Jail. A cautionary tale of fame, fortune and seduction, Chicago has a score that includes the hits “All That Jazz,” “Roxie” and “Razzle Dazzle.”
Featuring direction by Walter Bobbie, the 1996 revival of Chicago won six Tony Awards, including Best Revival, and is still running at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre. The production highlights the iconic choreography created by Bob Fosse for the original 1975 production. The national tour is scheduled to play Madison, Fort Lauderdale, Houston and more.