| Illness Forces Usher Out of `Chicago' | | Posted Friday, October 13, 2006 7:04:57 AM by Blog57 Team | | Usher, plagued by strep throat since last week, is out of "Chicago" for the final days of his two-month engagement in the long-running musical revival. The R&B star became ill last Friday and has not been in the show since, Jonnetta Patton, his manager, said Thursday. "Usher has had an amazing time on Broadway and loved every minute of performing on stage with the entire cast of `Chicago,'" Patton said. "He expresses his sincere apologies to all of his fans who purchased tickets to see him in `Chicago' this final week and appreciates all of their love and support." The show has done boffo business since Usher, playing conniving lawyer Billy Flynn, joined the Bob Fosse-Kander and Ebb musical. Christopher McDonald takes over the role of Flynn on Oct. 15. Understudy Bernard Dotson has played Flynn during Usher's illness.... | |
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| | | Will the Jazz Band Play On? | | Posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006 7:01:33 PM by Blog57 Team | | Of all the things about post-Katrina New Orleans that weigh heavily on the souls of New Orleans musicians, it's the city's silence. It was the first thing legendary jazz pianist Henry Butler noticed when he returned to his hometown after Katrina. Blind, Butler relied on friends to detail the devastation of his Gentilly home, but his other senses served up a potent picture of what had befallen the city. "You can smell it for miles. Months after it is still there ? the stench, the odor of decaying animals, mold from houses, oil and gas, all that fecal matter, all that in the air," Butler said. "One day in December I wound up staying too long and just after dark you could hear the varmints scurrying around. I realized at that moment this wasn't my home anymore." Butler is now living in Colorado and is just one of an estimated 4,000 musicians and artists ? some well-known, others not ? who are part of the New Orleans cultural diaspora.... | |
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| | | Usher Debuts In Broadway Musical 'Chicago' | | Posted Friday, August 25, 2006 7:08:39 AM by Blog57 Team | | A music superstar is making his Broadway debut. After topping the music world as an R&B singer, Grammy winner Usher stepped onto the stage Tuesday night in the hit musical "Chicago.""I've done a little bit of everything in entertainment, but nothing quite like the musical Chicago," Usher said. He's taking on the role of the flamboyant lawyer Billy Flynn, the role that Tony Award Winner James Naughton created in the current revival.Usher said the slick Billy Flynn was perfect for his Broadway bow. He said he's excited because he's studied Bob Fosse's work. The current revival of "Chicago" will celebrate its tenth anniversary in November.For Usher, who has made a living as a singer-songwriter, working eight shows a week on Broadway is a challenge of "doing it every night again with the same amount of intensity that you did the night before."Usher said he hopes he'll entertain audiences along with the rest of the talented cast.... | |
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| | | Usher to Star in Chicago Broadway Musical | | Posted Friday, July 21, 2006 1:07:41 AM by Blog57 Team | | Usher will be making his Broadway debut with the cast of the hit musical Chicago beginning on Aug. 22. The R&B superstar will star as Billy Flynn in Chicago till Oct. 1. "This is a very exciting time in my career," said Usher, in a press release statement. "I have always admired Broadway actors for their showmanship, dedication and focus that goes into performing live on stage every night. Being on Broadway allows you to connect to audiences in a whole new way that's different from music and movies. “When they asked me to play Billy Flynn in Chicago, I jumped at the chance to be a part of such an amazing production." Usher is coming off the monumental success of his last album Confessions, which moved over 15 million units worldwide. He also has a budding acting career in television and film and has recently purchased a stake of the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.... | |
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| | | Usher to make Broadway debut in 'Chicago' | | Posted Sunday, July 16, 2006 3:03:21 PM by Blog57 Team | | Usher, the silky voiced R&B superstar, will soon be crooning a Broadway melody. The multi-platinum recording artist and five-time Grammy winner will take over the role of conniving lawyer Billy Flynn in the long-running musical revival "Chicago," making his Broadway debut, producers Barry and Fran Weissler announced Friday. .... | |
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