NFL star/Buckeye Eddie George stars in 'Chicago'

From Buckeye to Broadway: The last time Eddie George stepped out in front of a big crowd in Columbus, he was No. 27 for the Buckeyes

by

The last time Eddie George stepped out in front of a big crowd in Columbus, he was No. 27 for the Buckeyes.

His next appearance will be, to say the very least, different. Instead of setting records for rushing yardage and winning Heisman Trophies, he’ll be singing and dancing as shyster lawyer Billy Flynn in the national tour of the long-running musical Chicago.

Broadway Across America brings Chicago to town Feb. 6-11 at the Palace Theatre.

Returning to Ohio and his Buckeye fans promises to be an interesting experience for George, he says.

“I hope they don’t see me, but the character,” he says. “People might come in with a preconceived notion, but if I’ve done my job, I hope that, in the process of storytelling, they forget who I am and are focused on the character of Billy.”

George was an all-star during his days as a Buckeye, earning the Heisman Trophy in 1995 and having his jersey number retired. George went on to play in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 2006.

In the years that followed, he pursued numerous other interests, including earning his MBA and returning to The Ohio State University to teach. Through his endeavors, he discovered a new interest: acting.

“I fell in love with the art of storytelling,” says George. “I loved it, I loved it. When I started doing it, I found a new passion, a way to express myself in a completely new way.”

Theater in particular appealed to George. 

“Theater is making fantastical things seem real. There’s so much action going on. … It’s a living thing being created for audience among actors,” he says. “It’s the same thing going on in a locker room, us working together. So much teamwork, trust and camaraderie for the outcome of this play.” 

His work in theater led him to Chicago and Billy Flynn, playing the role on Broadway. All the principals in the tour have acted in the show on Broadway, including Dylis Croman, who portrays protagonist Roxie Hart.

“What’s so great about the show are the characters and the freedom to bring yourself into the roles,” says Croman. “They’ve been played by so many people in 21 years. It’s fascinating to see how much room there is to play people and take them on in a different way.”

I fell in love with the art of storytelling. I loved it, I loved it. When I started doing it, I found a new passion, a way to express myself in a completely new way.

Chicago is a satirical show, focusing on criminals being treated like celebrities. Roxie is an accused murderer who learns to navigate the justice system with style thanks to Billy.

“Eddie comes in and you forget it’s him. He’s known as a football player, so people don’t think of him as actor, but he’s fantastic,” Croman says. “He has a great voice, a great stage presence. It’s a treat to see him up there.”

Croman has been involved with Chicago for over a decade in various stints on Broadway and tours, including a recent engagement in South Korea and Taiwan.

“Tours are such an important thing to spread art and the love of art to people that maybe don’t have the means to seek it out in other places,” says Croman. “I love when the tours schedule smaller towns and we get to give them a great show, give them something they (would) never experience otherwise. We get to share this with people anywhere.”

George also enjoys sharing the show across the country, and giving more people the chance to see his performance.

“It will be interesting for the audience to see me in a different capacity,” says George. “But when I’m up there, I’m stuck telling the story. It doesn’t matter if it’s Columbus or Nashville or Timbuktu, the story has to be told and I’m focused on that. But if I happen to hear a couple ‘O-H’s’ in the audience, that’s cool, too.”

Bullets Over Broadway

From newspaper headlines to Broadway, the story of Chicago has been capturing audiences’ attentions for close to a century.

Amidst the backdrop of the roaring ’20s, the Windy City was shocked by a string of high-profile murder cases. Alongside changing views of women, women accused of homicide became a sensationalized subject. The cases earned a significant amount of press coverage, fueled by rivalries between the city’s newspapers.

Journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins actively reported on the cases for the Chicago Tribune and became inspired by the experiences. Her play, Chicago, was written in 1926 and played on Broadway later that year. 

The show’s two main characters, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, are based on real accused murderesses Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, who had been treated as celebrities by the press. Watkins based the character of journalist Mary Sunshine on herself.

The play has been adapted into two feature films, a 1927 silent film and a 1942 remake called Roxie Hart, starring Ginger Rogers.

In the 1960s, Broadway director and choreography Bob Fosse became interested in a musical adaptation. With the help of songwriting duo Kander and Ebb, the musical opened in 1975 and starred Fosse’s wife, Gwen Verdon, as Roxie.

In 1996, the musical was revived and received critical praise, its themes working well in the wake of the O.J. Simpson trial. The revival led to the 2002 film adaptation starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, which won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The revival continues to run to this day, and is currently the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.

Lindsey Capritta is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

RELATED READS