Grammy-nominated and Latin Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra has stepped into the world of the Great White Way. The Colombian artist made his Broadway debut in the Tony-winning revival of “Chicago” at the Ambassador Theatre on November 25, where he’ll star as Billy Flynn in the acclaimed show through December 22.
The Latin pop and reggaeton singer rose to fame with his hit release “Traicionera” in 2016. His debut album, Mantra, arrived in 2018, followed by Fantasía, paving the way for successful collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Natti Natasha, and the Jonas Brothers on the bilingual single “Runaway.”
Yatra received two Latin Grammy Awards for best pop song, “Tacones Rojos,” and best pop vocal album for his 2022 record, Dharma. He recorded and performed “Dos Oruguitas,” the Oscar-nominated song by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which is the soundtrack of the Disney animated feature Encanto.
Yatra noted in a a statement that performing on Broadway was something he had imagined, but it seemed impossible.
“And now that it is coming true in ‘Chicago,’ which is such an iconic show, is something that fills me with great excitement,” he said. “I remember many years ago when I went to see ‘Evita’ on Broadway and Ricky Martin was starring in it. It blew my mind to see a Latino on Broadway, also performing in English. This is a commitment that requires a lot of discipline and I can’t wait to learn a lot from the cast and crew.”
“Chicago” debuted on Broadway in 1975. The current revival began as part of the Encores! series at City Center in 1996 before moving to Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, later transferring to the Shubert Theatre, and eventually staying at the Ambassador Theatre in 2003. It features choreography by Bob Fosse, with a book by Fosse and Fred Ebb, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Ebb.
The production, directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by the late Ann Reinking, won multiple Tony Awards in 1997, including Best Revival of a Musical.
Celebrating its 28th year on the Main Stem, “Chicago” met audiences in 38 countries with over 35,000 performances in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Sweden, Argentina, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, and more. In over 525 cities, the show played to more than 34 million people worldwide. Additionally, it reached its 11,000th performance at the Ambassador Theatre on November 14, 2024, marking a new milestone.
Theatergoers can visit the official “Chicago” musical website for ticket options and updates.