Ailing Billy Dee Williams Withdraws from The Mambo Kings

Billy Dee Williams has withdrawn from the The Mambo Kings "due to an aggravated hip condition," according to a production spokesperson. The search is on for a new actor to play nightclub impresario Fernando Perez in the musical.

Williams previously appeared on Broadway in The Cool World, A Taste of Honey, Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright, Hallelujah, Baby!, I Have a Dream and Fences. His off-Broadway credits include Happy Ending/Day of Absence, The Firebugs and Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. Williams became famous in the early 1970s after earning great acclaim and an Emmy nomination for his performance as football star Gale Sayers in the ABC television movie Brian's Song. His film credits include The Out-of-Towners, Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, Star Wars: Episode V and Episode VI, Nighthawks, Fear City, Batman, Moving Target and Undercover Brother.

The Mambo Kings has been in rehearsal for a while. It begins a tryout at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre on May 24 and will stay there through June 19. It is then scheduled to begin performances at the Broadway Theatre on July 20 in preparation for an August 18 opening. The show stars Esai Morales, Jaime Camil, Albita, Justina Machado, Cote de Pablo, Christiane Noll, Allen Hidalgo and Dennis Staroselsky.