Brian Damage
07-24-2009, 12:40 AM
Jerry Springer, on hiatus from his TV show, has been wowing them on the London stage as Billy Flynn, the ethically challenged lawyer in the musical “Chicago,” and Springer is now in talks to play the part on Broadway, the New York Times reports.
It’s the part Richard Gere played so memorably in the Oscar-winning film version of the musical.
Springer tells the Times he was offered the part in London after the producers had seen him as a contestant on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
Springer may be in the Broadway production as soon as Aug. 18th, and then go on to play the role is some other cities, including Philadelphia in September, the Times said.
Critical reaction to Mr. Springer’s performance in London has been mixed. Ben Brantley, the New York Times’ theatre critic, saw the show and wrote on his blog, “Mr. Springer obviously understands the American appetite for the lurid as deeply as the cynical Billy does.”
Mr. Springer himself told the Times of the first number he sings in the show, “If you miss that first note, you’re sunk — the audience knows that you’re not ready to do big-time ‘Chicago.’ And I’m pretty good at telling when an audience is buying what you’re selling and when they’re not.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/theater/18springer.html?_r=1
It’s the part Richard Gere played so memorably in the Oscar-winning film version of the musical.
Springer tells the Times he was offered the part in London after the producers had seen him as a contestant on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
Springer may be in the Broadway production as soon as Aug. 18th, and then go on to play the role is some other cities, including Philadelphia in September, the Times said.
Critical reaction to Mr. Springer’s performance in London has been mixed. Ben Brantley, the New York Times’ theatre critic, saw the show and wrote on his blog, “Mr. Springer obviously understands the American appetite for the lurid as deeply as the cynical Billy does.”
Mr. Springer himself told the Times of the first number he sings in the show, “If you miss that first note, you’re sunk — the audience knows that you’re not ready to do big-time ‘Chicago.’ And I’m pretty good at telling when an audience is buying what you’re selling and when they’re not.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/theater/18springer.html?_r=1