Ron Orbach returns to Chicago — for 'Chicago'
#8220;Seinfeld#8221; star John O'Hurley previously toured to Chicago as the slick lawyer Billy Flynn, as has award-winning Mexican actress Bianca Marroquin as the fame-seeking killer Roxie Hart. Also making a return is Ron Orbach, who previously played Roxie's schlub husband Amos on tour and on Broadway as far back as 1997. In fact, Orbach won a Jeff Award for his #8220;Chicago#8221; performance.
#8220;It is always a great pleasure and privilege to return to #8216;Chicago' and to Amos Hart,#8221; Orbach said. #8220;It is a job I have greatly valued also because there are members of the company, both in the cast and in the crew, that I have worked with on and off for 17 years. These folks are like family to me.#8221;
Audiences might recall Orbach's previous local turns in Goodman Theatre shows like #8220;Moonlight and Magnolias#8221; and #8220;Turn of the Century,#8221; or at Chicago Shakespeare Theater where he played Bottom in a 2012 production of #8220;A Midsummer Night's Dream.#8221;
But there's also a painful Chicago memory for Orbach tied to the pre-Broadway tryout of #8220;The Producers#8221; in 2000. Orbach was originally cast as the Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind, but was replaced by his understudy, Brad Oscar, when he blew out his knee during technical rehearsals.
#8220;It was indeed a huge blow to my career, and I did struggle and suffer over it for quite a while thereafter, as I had to witness the unparalleled success it had,#8221; Orbach said.
But after living in New York during the 2001 terrorist attacks of 9/11, Orbach said that the national tragedy put his life and career in perspective.
#8220;Shortly thereafter, I got married, and returned to Broadway in #8216;Dance of the Vampires.' OK, so I went from the biggest hit in Broadway history to one of its biggest flops, but I was still back on Broadway.#8221;
#8220;Chicago#8221; is now the longest-running American show in Broadway history, and Orbach attributes the popularity in large part to its continued relevance #8212; and its celebrity casting.
#8220;Andy Warhol's assertion that everybody wants their #8216;15 minutes of fame' has reached its zenith now, with reality TV and our addiction to the tabloids and celebrity culture,#8221; Orbach said. #8220;But it is once again a testament to the greatness of the show that it can withstand all kinds of infusions of a wide variety of performers.#8221;
Orbach added that he was impressed to star in #8220;Chicago#8221; alongside celebrities like Huey Lewis, Melba Moore, George Hamilton and #8220;Dukes of Hazzard#8221; stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider.
And Orbach is especially looking forward to the Chicago audience's response to #8220;Chicago,#8221; which he says is remarkably more welcoming and boisterous than in some of the #8220;boonies#8221; he's toured to with the show.
#8220;I'm not sure if they take some proprietary pleasure in the show due to the title,#8221; Orbach said. #8220;But maybe that is the case.#8221;
“Chicago”
<b>Location:</b> Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago, (800) 755-2000, <a href="http://broadwayinchicago.com">broadwayinchicago.com</a>
<b>Showtimes:</b> 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 25-28; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 1; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2
<b>Tickets:</b> $30-$95