Lee has talked in his concerts about going up last year for the role of Billy Flynn in the UK tour of Chicago and the addition of All I Care About to his setlist made us wish his panto commitments hadn't prevented him taking the role. Happily that wasn't the end of the story and it was announced yesterday that he will take over from Russell Watson later this year, making his first appearance at the Sunderland Empire on 31 May and playing through to the end of the tour in Llandudno on 30 July, though sadly for his fans across the Irish Sea, he will not be doing the Belfast dates (6-11 June).Lee stars alongside the previously announced Gemma Collins as 'Mama Morton' (except in Plymouth and Llandudno where Sinitta will reprise the role), Faye Brookes as 'Roxie Hart', Djalenga Scott as 'Velma Kelly', Jamie Baughan as 'Amos Hart' and B.E. Wong as 'Mary Sunshine'.
Tickets for the tour have been on sale for a while and I'm delighted to see how well sold it is. It makes ticket-buying more challenging but after the last couple of years I can't begrudge Lee and his fellow cast members playing to full houses even if my view of them doing so is a little more distant than I'm used to!UPDATE 12/05/2022:
First production pictures of Lee as Billy Flynn released today... looking sharp, sir! (Credit: Matt Crockett - click for full-size images)
UPDATE 24/05/2022:
News broke today that Gemma Collins has been forced to pull out of the tour due to an old knee injury. I await with interest news of who will replace her as Mama Morton.
UPDATE 27/05/2022:
Brenda Edwards will join the cast as Mama Morton for the Sunderland (Thursday and Saturday performances only), Cardiff, Blackpool, Sheffield, Norwich and Oxford dates of the tour.
In Plymouth and Llandudo, the role will be played by Sinitta as previously announced.
UPDATE 06/06/2022:
I have penned a few first impressions after my visits to Sunderland for Lee's first show on 31 May and the matinee on 4 June - you can read them here.
TOUR SCHEDULE
31 MAY - 04 JUNE 2022 - Empire Theatre, SUNDERLAND
Press REVIEWS for this venue and the Timeline's own REPORT.
