John O'Hurley Razzle-Dazzles Washingtonians As 'Chicago' Returns To National Theatre

All photographs were shot during a pre-show rehearsal on opening day. Cast members are shown without costumes and lighting is not representative of an actual performance.

NORTHWEST -- The excited audience at National Theatre on Tuesday evening could have certainly been mistaken for a 'noisy hall', but thankfully there was no 'nightly brawl' during opening night for the D.C. leg of CHICAGO's current national tour.



The six-time Tony Award-winning musical (and the longest running American musical in Broadway history) is in town for a limited week-long engagement, which plays through Sunday evening at one of the city's most historic performance venues.



A revival of the now legendary music of John Kander and book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, the current production is produced by the award-winning team of Barry and Fran Weissler, directed by David Hyslop, and choreographed by David Bushman.



Set amidst the decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO tells the story of Roxie Hart (Bianca Marroquin), a bored housewife and nightclub dancer who murders the man with whom she is having an affair. In order to escape conviction, she enlists the help of her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly (Terra C. MacLeod), and Chicago's slickest criminal defense attorney to dupe the media and the general public through a barrage of sensational headlines.



D.C. audiences are in for a particular treat with respect to the latter character, Billy Flynn, with John O'Hurley tackling the fast-talking role. The veteran actor, of course, is perhaps best known for his role as J. Peterman on the hit NBC sitcom 'Seinfeld'.



But far from delivering a show about nothing, O'Hurley easily commands center stage with The Washington Post writing that he "got the best laughs of the night" in its review of Wednesday's performance.



Other cast members in the production include Roz Ryan as 'Mama' Morton, Jacob Keith Watson as Amos Hart, and Christophe Cabellero, Bradley Gibson, Aurore Joly, Matthew J. Kilgore, Tanner Lane, Chris LeBeau, Robin Masella, Jennifer Mathie, Allison Blair McDowell, Laura Oldham, Anne Otto, Adam Pellegrine, Sherisse Springer, Jasond Thomas, Colt Adam Weiss, and Matthew Winnegge.


Clearly, the "old razzle-dazzle" is new again!