Usher's Broadway Debut Comes Off Without A Hitch — Except For That Cell Phone ...

The Gatfather · 08-23-2006, 09:48 PM

Tuesday night on Broadway, the atmosphere at the Ambassador Theater felt like the opening date of a concert tour. Usher was making his grand debut on Broadway as the immaculately dressed Billy Flynn in "Chicago" and everything

"[Usher's performance] is something I will remember 10 years from now." — Mario

Photos from this story

Usher, Mario, Busta Rhymes And More At Usher's Opening Night Of "Chicago"
was going according to plan. He was onstage delivering a song, when all of sudden, Usher found himself battling for the audience's attention — pitted against a ringtone of Cassie's "Me & U."

An audience member had broken the theater's rules and left his or her cell phone on. The ringer was as loud as the music coming from the stage — and Usher was convinced it was coming from the phone of his former mentor, J Records head Clive Davis.

"I gotta get in Clive Davis' a--," Usher said after the show, on the red carpet of his afterparty at Manhattan's Nikki Beach. "His phone was ringing right in the middle of the play. Can you believe that?"

Davis, the legendary music mogul, would later say with a smile that Usher was surely kidding — and he doesn't even have a phone. "If I had a phone, how could he tell it was me?" he asked.

That minor hiccup notwithstanding, Usher's turn in Chicago was essentially flawless, which should come as little surprise. He's obviously spent most of his life focusing on singing and dancing — his top hat in one of the closing numbers will give some flashbacks of "My Way." He added a little bit of soul to songs such as "All I Care About," and even made "Razzle Dazzle" seem cool. Although his dance routines on Broadway aren't as intricate or fast-paced as the ones for his own classics like "Caught Up" and "Yeah!," he managed to add a bit of his own hip-hop flavor to the play: An extra spin here, a little more swagger on a foot-glide there.

As an actor, Usher had no problem getting his smooth on, transforming himself into the manipulative but charming "silver-tongued prince of the courtroom," Flynn. He's a lawyer trying to get a couple of homicidal hotties off of death row — for the small price of $5,000 each.

"I got a great response my first night," Usher said after the show. "I'm happy I could share this moment with so many great people. Of course, you have opening-night jitters on anything you do, especially Broadway."

Along with Clive Davis, Penelope Cruz, Ben Vereen, Mario, Gabrielle Union, Swizz Beatz, Rosie Perez, Jill Marie Jones, Bryan Barber, Phylicia Rashad and Oprah Winfrey's best friend Gayle King were in the audience to cheer the man who sits atop the R&B food chain.

"I was very impressed," said "Idlewild" director Barber said of Usher's performance. "He was very convincing. I love what Usher brings with his vocals."

"It's something I will remember 10 years from now," Mario said of seeing his friend on a Broadway stage, calling the performance "effortless." "I'm enjoying that he respects the art of it."

Broadway veteran Bianca Marroquin, who plays Roxie Hart (one of the aforementioned homicidal hotties) in "Chicago" and spends a considerable amount of time with Usher, said the Grammy winner is "wonderful."

"We're so impressed, so proud, we can't wait to see what else he's gonna do," she enthused.

A few hundred people mingled outside the theater after the show let out, hoping to get a glimpse of Usher as he made his exit in a pearly white 1936 Auburn Speedster (promotional posters for the play find him posing in front of one). However, his dramatic exit was delayed as the crowd mobbed his vehicle, leaving no room to drive off.

The afterparty had all the trappings of a Hollywood premiere, with two white Rolls-Royce Phantoms lining the streets (Swizz Beatz pulled up in one) along with SUVs, Benzes and at least one Maybach. Inside the hot club, members of the "Chicago" cast were seen dancing to Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack," actor Keith David was taking pictures with friends, and several ladies formed their own circle and got down to Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous." Ben Vereen Jr. joined in the excitement, jumping on a chair and dancing when the DJ threw on Beyoncé's "Deja Vu."

Even stars who missed the play, like Busta Rhymes, Amerie and Consequence, came out to congratulate the man of the evening.

Zhiwai · 08-23-2006, 09:58 PM

Props on this

GGGG-Unit Affiliated Poww · 08-23-2006, 10:00 PM

pppppppppppropzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

d-jay · 08-23-2006, 10:06 PM

Damn live stage actin' ain't easy.......I cud see him doin' well at it, which I guess he did.

InfamousQBC · 08-23-2006, 10:30 PM

Major Propz. Heard bout this on MTV News. Ushed is doin nice things with the play he deserves it.

Brick Citys Al Capone · 08-23-2006, 10:31 PM

propz .....

SM596 · 08-23-2006, 10:32 PM

good looks on the info

InfamousQBC · 08-23-2006, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-jay

Damn live stage actin' ain't easy.......I cud see him doin' well at it, which I guess he did.

Co-Sign it's not easy he did well they showed on MTV he wuz signing and controlin the stage.

Yung_Rich · 08-24-2006, 12:10 AM

iight props

daKiz · 08-24-2006, 12:28 AM

cbf readin that shit propz anyways

hasan · 08-24-2006, 12:29 AM

aight propz

reloaded_910 · 08-24-2006, 12:54 AM

props.....

home boi · 08-24-2006, 12:57 AM

a'ight cool mayne, propz

adversary · 08-24-2006, 01:37 AM

fucc usher for dissin g unit by workin wit dat gay faggot shyne who gets raped up da ass evryday all day

Lyrical Menace · 08-24-2006, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-UgiOh

fucc usher for dissin g unit by workin wit dat gay faggot shyne who gets raped up da ass evryday all day

Do u like any other artists besides G-Unit

syk-o · 08-24-2006, 03:35 AM

propz wen ushers next album gon drop i herd his new song with pharell?

gunitrules · 08-24-2006, 04:40 AM

aaah, fucc usher, take a shit in his fuccin dancin shoes

BWS4LIFE/GUNOT · 08-24-2006, 07:17 AM

propz on dat and G-UgiOh has to just shut the fuc up

08-23-2006, 09:48 PM	#1
The Gatfather Banned Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 4,436 Repped: 519 Repped 2,049 Times in 381 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Usher's Broadway Debut Comes Off Without A Hitch — Except For That Cell Phone ... Usher's Broadway Debut Comes Off Without A Hitch — Except For That Cell Phone ... Tuesday night on Broadway, the atmosphere at the Ambassador Theater felt like the opening date of a concert tour. Usher was making his grand debut on Broadway as the immaculately dressed Billy Flynn in "Chicago" and everything "[Usher's performance] is something I will remember 10 years from now." — Mario Photos from this story Usher, Mario, Busta Rhymes And More At Usher's Opening Night Of "Chicago" was going according to plan. He was onstage delivering a song, when all of sudden, Usher found himself battling for the audience's attention — pitted against a ringtone of Cassie's "Me & U." An audience member had broken the theater's rules and left his or her cell phone on. The ringer was as loud as the music coming from the stage — and Usher was convinced it was coming from the phone of his former mentor, J Records head Clive Davis. "I gotta get in Clive Davis' a--," Usher said after the show, on the red carpet of his afterparty at Manhattan's Nikki Beach. "His phone was ringing right in the middle of the play. Can you believe that?" Davis, the legendary music mogul, would later say with a smile that Usher was surely kidding — and he doesn't even have a phone. "If I had a phone, how could he tell it was me?" he asked. That minor hiccup notwithstanding, Usher's turn in Chicago was essentially flawless, which should come as little surprise. He's obviously spent most of his life focusing on singing and dancing — his top hat in one of the closing numbers will give some flashbacks of "My Way." He added a little bit of soul to songs such as "All I Care About," and even made "Razzle Dazzle" seem cool. Although his dance routines on Broadway aren't as intricate or fast-paced as the ones for his own classics like "Caught Up" and "Yeah!," he managed to add a bit of his own hip-hop flavor to the play: An extra spin here, a little more swagger on a foot-glide there. As an actor, Usher had no problem getting his smooth on, transforming himself into the manipulative but charming "silver-tongued prince of the courtroom," Flynn. He's a lawyer trying to get a couple of homicidal hotties off of death row — for the small price of $5,000 each. "I got a great response my first night," Usher said after the show. "I'm happy I could share this moment with so many great people. Of course, you have opening-night jitters on anything you do, especially Broadway." Along with Clive Davis, Penelope Cruz, Ben Vereen, Mario, Gabrielle Union, Swizz Beatz, Rosie Perez, Jill Marie Jones, Bryan Barber, Phylicia Rashad and Oprah Winfrey's best friend Gayle King were in the audience to cheer the man who sits atop the R&B food chain. "I was very impressed," said "Idlewild" director Barber said of Usher's performance. "He was very convincing. I love what Usher brings with his vocals." "It's something I will remember 10 years from now," Mario said of seeing his friend on a Broadway stage, calling the performance "effortless." "I'm enjoying that he respects the art of it." Broadway veteran Bianca Marroquin, who plays Roxie Hart (one of the aforementioned homicidal hotties) in "Chicago" and spends a considerable amount of time with Usher, said the Grammy winner is "wonderful." "We're so impressed, so proud, we can't wait to see what else he's gonna do," she enthused. A few hundred people mingled outside the theater after the show let out, hoping to get a glimpse of Usher as he made his exit in a pearly white 1936 Auburn Speedster (promotional posters for the play find him posing in front of one). However, his dramatic exit was delayed as the crowd mobbed his vehicle, leaving no room to drive off. The afterparty had all the trappings of a Hollywood premiere, with two white Rolls-Royce Phantoms lining the streets (Swizz Beatz pulled up in one) along with SUVs, Benzes and at least one Maybach. Inside the hot club, members of the "Chicago" cast were seen dancing to Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack," actor Keith David was taking pictures with friends, and several ladies formed their own circle and got down to Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous." Ben Vereen Jr. joined in the excitement, jumping on a chair and dancing when the DJ threw on Beyoncé's "Deja Vu." Even stars who missed the play, like Busta Rhymes, Amerie and Consequence, came out to congratulate the man of the evening.

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08-23-2006, 09:58 PM	#2
Zhiwai G_unit_soldier_Chang Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 9,469 Repped: 15 Repped 49 Times in 8 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Props on this

08-23-2006, 10:00 PM	#3
GGGG-Unit Affiliated Poww Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,150 Repped: 0 Repped 2 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	pppppppppppropzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

08-23-2006, 10:06 PM	#4
d-jay Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Heartbeat, Connecticut Posts: 446 Repped: 22 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Damn live stage actin' ain't easy.......I cud see him doin' well at it, which I guess he did.

08-23-2006, 10:30 PM	#5
InfamousQBC Blue Diamonds Join Date: May 2006 Location: Southside Queens Posts: 11,221 Repped: 8,874 Repped 456 Times in 59 Posts Neg Reps: 21 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Major Propz. Heard bout this on MTV News. Ushed is doin nice things with the play he deserves it.

08-23-2006, 10:31 PM	#6
Brick Citys Al Capone Veteran Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Brick City Posts: 11,062 Repped: 52 Repped 12 Times in 9 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz .....

08-23-2006, 10:32 PM	#7
SM596 Moderator Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 22,872 Repped: 2,815 Repped 24,773 Times in 4,454 Posts Neg Reps: 2 Neg Repped at 25 Times in 23 Posts	good looks on the info

08-24-2006, 12:10 AM	#9
Yung_Rich Official Business Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: On The Garden Side Of Things Posts: 8,336 Repped: 1,893 Repped 6,024 Times in 1,052 Posts Neg Reps: 130 Neg Repped at 120 Times in 98 Posts	iight props

08-24-2006, 12:28 AM	#10
daKiz Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 591 Repped: 1 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	cbf readin that shit propz anyways

08-24-2006, 12:29 AM	#11
hasan WEST SIDA Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 12,201 Repped: 8,471 Repped 23 Times in 11 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	aight propz

08-24-2006, 12:54 AM	#12
reloaded_910 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 624 Repped: 46 Repped 250 Times in 28 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	props.....

08-24-2006, 12:57 AM	#13
home boi In stores NOW! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Greensburg, Pennsylvania Posts: 3,035 Repped: 1,608 Repped 198 Times in 49 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	a'ight cool mayne, propz

08-24-2006, 01:37 AM	#14
adversary Veteran Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: CA Posts: 1,613 Repped: 301 Repped 94 Times in 25 Posts Neg Reps: 2 Neg Repped at 2 Times in 2 Posts	fucc usher for dissin g unit by workin wit dat gay faggot shyne who gets raped up da ass evryday all day

08-24-2006, 03:35 AM	#16
syk-o Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 84 Repped: 0 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz wen ushers next album gon drop i herd his new song with pharell?

08-24-2006, 04:40 AM	#17
gunitrules Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 801 Repped: 110 Repped 8 Times in 1 Post Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	aaah, fucc usher, take a shit in his fuccin dancin shoes

08-24-2006, 07:17 AM	#18
BWS4LIFE/GUNOT STOP DA HATIN Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: UK Posts: 515 Repped: 146 Repped 31 Times in 7 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz on dat and G-UgiOh has to just shut the fuc up