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Talkshow host Jerry Springer has made his West End debut in the hit musical Chicago.
The 65-year-old trod the boards of London's Cambridge Theatre for the first time last night, in the role of crooked lawyer Billy Flynn.
He razzle dazzled the audience for the first night of a gruelling six-week run of shows. The host will perform all eight shows a week - a tough job for even hardened musical actors.
All that Jazz: Jerry Springer as the crafty lawyer with the merry murderesses
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Bring on the dancing girls: The 65-year-old trod the boards of London's Cambridge Theatre last night, in the role of crooked lawyer Billy Flynn.
The host and former mayor of Cincinnati has already had a musical, Jerry Springer - The Opera, created about his hit TV show.
But this is the first time he has taken on an all-singing and dancing part himself.
Before launching his run, British-born Springer said: 'I'm a lawyer and I'm also in showbusiness. There are elements of the character that I can kind of draw upon I think. Talking to the jury, putting on a big show.'
But he joked that he had 'a voice for newspapers and a face for radio' and added: ''When I sing, the audience really gets involved because they will have to guess where the notes were supposed to have been.'
Taking a bow: Springer's first night as Billy Flynn in a six-week run
Onstage: With Aoife Mulhollan (Roxie Hart), Leigh Zimmerman (Velma Kelly) and Di Botcher(Mama)
Final bow: After razzle-dazzling the audience, the actors take a curtain call
He added: 'I'm 65. I'm not going to be a 25-year-old greatly physically fit dancer.
'I'm a liberal - my feet go where they want. Hopefully they'll go in the right direction.'
Springer, who among his various careers has been a host on America's Got Talent, a political reporter, and campaign aide to Robert F. Kennedy, has had some dancing practice in the past.
He appeared on US show Dancing With The Stars in 2006.
Smooth operator: The chat show host played himself in Jerry Springer: The Opera but this is his first all-singing and all-dancing role
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