Odds & Ends: Todrick Hall Will Return to the Role of Billy Flynn on the Chicago Tour & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed today.

Todrick Hall to Return to the Role of Billy Flynn on the Chicago Tour
Broadway alum Todrick Hall will soon razzle-dazzle audiences yet again in the touring production of the Tony-winning musical Chicago. The YouTube star will step back into the shoes of smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn on the Detroit stop of the road production, from October 16-20 at the Fisher Theater. In addition to his prior Broadway engagement in Chicago, Hall has been seen in main-stem productions of Kinky Boots and The Color Purple. Look back at the Broadway promo video of Hall below before checking out his performance live in Michigan.



Joe Mantegna Will Direct Lenny Bruce Bio-Play Off-Broadway
Tony-winning stage-and-screen star Joe Mantegna (Glengarry Glen Ross, The Sopranos) has signed on to direct the new play I’m Not a Comedian…I'm Lenny Bruce, written by and starring Ronnie Marmo (Criminal Minds) as Lenny Bruce. The production will play NYC's Cutting Room beginning on October 23 with an opening set for November 4. "Walking into the Cutting Room is like stepping back in time," said Mantegna. "Every inch of the space feels like you're back in the '60s. It puts the audience right into the environment in which Lenny Bruce worked, which is why we chose it to bring the show to New York. It's a club that Lenny would've definitely played." A comic legend, Bruce fought for freedom of speech all the way to the Supreme Court. He accidentally died of an overdose in 1966, while out on appeal.

Tony Nominee Pascal Armand to Star in Off-Broadway Solo Play Natural Shocks
Pascal Armand, the multi-talented actress who earned a Tony nomination for her turn in Eclipsed, has landed a starring role in Lauren Gunderson's world premiere play Natural Shocks, playing the WP Theater this fall. The new work, directed by May Adrales, will begin previews on October 28 with an opening set for November 8. Natural Shocks follows an unnamed woman who is forced into her basement when she finds herself in the path of a tornado. Trapped there, she spills over into confession, regret, long-held secrets and giddy new love. As the storm approaches, she becomes less and less sure where safety lies—and how best to defy the danger that awaits. Natural Shocks will play a limited engagement through November 25.