This winter, Broadway's record-breaking musical smash Chicago
welcomes television icon John Schneider to the company in the role of slick
criminal lawyer Billy Flynn for a nine-week limited engagement, Monday, January
14, 2008 through Sunday, March 16 at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.).
John Schneider is a celebrated star of stage and screen, in
addition to being an accomplished recording artist and philanthropist.
Television audiences will quickly recognize Schneider from his roles in
"Nip/Tuck," "Smallville," and as Bo Duke in the internationally acclaimed
television series "The Dukes of Hazzard." This March, he will appear in the new
HBO drama series "12 Miles of Bad
Road."
Also an accomplished guitar player, singer and songwriter,
Schneider has released a total of 11 solo albums. In the early '90s, he made
his Broadway stage debut as Felix Von Gaigern in the Tony-nominated musical
Grand Hotel. His other stage credits include The Will Rogers Follies,
Brigadoon, The Music Man, The Civil War and last summer's production of Mame at
the Hollywood Bowl.
Schneider is also a co-founder the Children's Miracle
Network, an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping children
by raising funds (more than $3.5 billion to-date) and awareness for 170
children's hospitals throughout North America.
Now celebrating eleven glorious years of girls, guns, glitz
and glamour on the Great White Way, the record-breaking smash hit musical Chicago is currently the eighth
longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's
longest-running musical revival…and it still shows no sign of ever slowing
down!
"Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago
is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously
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 malicious crime into a barrage of
sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from
today's tabloids," explain press notes.
With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander
and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is
the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the
Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.
Directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking,
Chicago
features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long,
lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer.
Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, Chicago
has become a worldwide phenomenon. On December 5, 2007, the London
production of Chicago
celebrated its 10th year on the West End.
Other previous international engagements include productions in Abu Dhabi, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Brazil,
Canada, China, Denmark,
Dubai, France,
Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan,
Mexico, Portugal, Russia,
South Africa, Sweden and Taiwan.
An upcoming production is slated for Korea in the coming months, and a Japanese
language production is scheduled for Japan in 2008.
Visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com
for more information.
Chicago plays
on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.). The regular performance
schedule is as follows: Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8PM; Tuesday
and Sunday evenings at 7PM; Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 2PM.
