Obba Babatundé Returns to Chicago as Billy Flynn

Obba Babatundé is set to return to Broadway’s Chicago in the role of Billy Flynn from January 10 through January 17. The Tony nominee is filling in while current star Brent Barrett is on vacation. Barrett will return to the role on January 18.

Babatundé was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as C.C. White in the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls. In addition to previous stints in Chicago, his additional Broadway credits include the revival of Grind and Timbuktu!. He also created the role of Jelly Roll Morton in Jelly’s Last Jam. On television, Babatundé received an Emmy nomination for Miss Evers’ Boys, an NAACP Image Award nomination for his performance as Harold Nicholas in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and has appeared in 60 made-for-TV movies. His feature film appearances include The Celestine Prophecy, Material Girls, After the Sunset, The Manchurian Candidate, The Notebook, John Q and How High. In other Chicago news, the Tony-winning revival will become the sixth longest-running production in Broadway history on January 12, 2010. On that date, it will surpass Beauty and the Beast with 5,462 performances.

The musical currently stars Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, Deidre Goodwin, Brent Barrett, Raymond Bokhour and Roz Ryan. It was recently announced that Michelle Williams will be the show’s next Roxie Hart.