CLEVELAND - The Broadway show “Chicago” is at Playhouse square with a familiar face taking the stage. However, you’re probably use to seeing that face from behind the facemask of a helmet.
In the state of Ohio, when you hear the name Eddie George, most people think of the Heisman trophy winning, star running back for The Ohio State Buckeyes.
After the musical “Chicago” runs in Cleveland instead of all those touchdowns, you may be thinking about all that jazz.
“I decided that I wanted to jump into being an actor and I wanted to do it the right way. I started taking acting classes and theater was the foundation for that. It kind of led me into doing this musical, I got the part and here I am,” says George.
The part is “Billy Flynn,” which is one of the leads in “Chicago." Although George has traded in the shoulder pads and cleats for tap shoes and a bow tie, he sees a lot of similarities in the two.
George says, “There is the element of team with the other actors that they’re relying on you and you rely on them to be in the right place at the right time to deliver the right cue. Very much the same thing on the football field. There’s the element of breakdown and improvisation if the play doesn't run correctly. Nerves are very much similar.”
There are some differences as well. For one, the stage audience is a little more forgiving. “I think stage audience...they’ll still get up and cheer for you and say good effort. Whereas on the football field, you know your performance,” says George.
No matter how far he’s removed from the field, Eddie can’t quite get completely away from the football field.
“I’m always going to have my phone on a football game on a Saturday or Sunday. We were performing on Super Bowl Sunday and I’m like, how am I going to do this. So, they had a television just off on stage right, so in between my scenes, I would go and look at the score,” says George.
“Chicago” will be at the Connor Palace from November 27 through December 2, 2018. For ticket information, click here.