David Alan Grier Joins the Cast of the B'way-Bound Mambo Kings

David Alan Grier has been tapped to replace Billy Dee Williams in the musical version of The Mambo Kings. Williams pulled out last week because of a hip injury.

Grier won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for a Tony Award for his Broadway debut in The First, in which he played Jackie Robinson. He has also appeared on the Great White Way in Dreamgirls and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. His off-Broadway credits include King Richard III and The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park and an Encores! staging of One Touch of Venus.

Grier is best known for his work in television comedies. He became famous in the early 1990s for his work on the TV series In Living Color. He has since starred on the series Dag, Damon, The Preston Episodes and Life With Bonnie. His film credits include Off Limits, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Almost an Angel, Boomerang, In the Army Now, Tales from the Hood, Jumanji, McHale's Navy, Return to Me, 15 Minutes, The Woodsman and the soon-to-be-released Bewitched.

Grier will join the cast of The Mambo Kings in San Francisco, where performances begin at the Golden Gate Theatre on May 24. The show is scheduled to complete its out-of-town tryout on June 19. It is then scheduled to begin performances at the Broadway Theatre on July 20 in preparation for an August 18 opening. In addition to Grier, the show stars Esai Morales, Jaime Camil, Albita, Justina Machado, Cote de Pablo, Christiane Noll, Allen Hidalgo and Dennis Staroselsky.