Source: Broadway
Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson is set to make his Broadway
debut in Chicago. The pop star will begin performances as
sleazy lawyer Billy Flynn on January 20, a production
spokesperson confirmed to Broadway.com.
Richardson and cousin Brian Littrell, two of the five
Backstreet Boys, began singing together when they were just
children. Richardson met Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Nick
Carter while working at Disney World, and the rest is
history. The Backstreet Boys began their rise to
international stardom in 1996 when their self-titled album
was released in Europe. (An American version of the album
would follow a year later.) Hits from the recording included
"Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)," "As Long as You Love
Me," "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," "I'll Never Break Your
Heart" and "All I Have to Give." Their American follow-up
album, Millennium, was released in 1999 and debuted at
number one on the Billboard sales charts. The albums spawned
the hits "I Want It That Way," "Larger Than Life," "Show Me
the Meaning of Being Lonely," and "The One." The band has
also released the less-successful Christmas Album and Black
& Blue. In total the group's record sales have topped $71
million.
Billy Zane, currently appearing as Flynn, will play his last
performance on January 19. Richardson, who is scheduled to
star in Chicago through March 9, will begin performances at
the Shubert Theatre and then transfer with the Tony
Award-winning revival to the Ambassador Theatre on January
29.
