The NFL Legend and Heisman Trophy winner, Eddie George, will surprisingly make his Broadway debut in the new year. The revival company of Chicago, now in it’s 19th year, will welcome George as “Billy Flynn” beginning Tuesday, January 11, 2016. He will play a 7-week limited engagement at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St., NYC) through Sunday, February 28, 2016.
Now, we say that it’s surprising because if you haven’t been closely watching George’s career then you would have no idea that he is no stranger to the theatre. Like, at all. He has actually done some great works that include a range from Shakespeare to Suzan Lori-Parks. Need more details? Yeah. We did, too. It’s actually quite impressive but we’ll hold out to see his work in January before we make any judgements. Below you’ll find his bio. (Oh, & FYI George is also the husband of Taj George who is known as 1/3 of hit R&B group SWV)
Eddie George makes his Broadway debut in Chicago following stage appearances in such works as Matthew Lopezs The Whipping Man (Nashville Repertory Theatre), Suzan-Lori Parks Topdog/Underdog(Amun Ra Theatre) and in the title roles of both Othello and Julius Caesar at the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. His transition to the stage completes the journey that he began following the conclusion of his NFL playing career, which saw him providing commentary and analysis for the Tennessee Titans and FOX’s college football coverage. George won screen time in such TV series as NBC’s “American Dream Builders” and in such films as “Best Man Holiday” and “The Game Plan.” Since then, George has worked to refine his craft onstage, including not only the credits indicated above, but also work with his Nashville-based theatrical troupe, Actors By George, which he founded in 2012. Eddie George won the Heisman Trophy in 1995 while playing for the Ohio State University. That honor served as the prelude to a nine-year career in the NFL, which saw him lead the Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV and selected to the Pro Bowl for four consecutive years, finishing his career with the Dallas Cowboys under legendary coach Bill Parcells. Since the conclusion of his playing career, George has additionally received his MBA from Northwestern University and founded Edward George Wealth Management Group. He resides in Nashville with his wife of 11 years, Tamara Johnson, and his family. He is on the board of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville.
We previously reported that reality television star NeNe Leakes would be joining the show as well. However, she will join as “Matron ‘Mama’ Morton” and will complete her run before George joins in January. So, it’s a good reason to see the show at the end of the year and at the beginning, it seems.
With a legendary book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, Chicago is now the #1 longest-running American musical in Broadway history. The winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording. Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and 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 Chicagos 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.
