As a professional actor, Lenny Daniel’s travels have taken him around the world.
But this 1985 Lake Orion High School grad knows where his roots are.
‘It’s great coming through Detroit and seeing the family,? Daniel said.
Daniel will be performing in the musical Chicago at the Max Fisher Theatre in Detroit, Feb. 14-March 5.
He estimates that he’ll need some 40 tickets when his extended family comes down from Petoskey for a matinee.
‘I’m really proud to be a part of this cast,? Daniel said. ‘It’s a lot of fun.?
The cast for the Detroit show includes seasoned Broadway and big screen stars Robin Givens (as Roxie Hart), and Obba Babatunde (as Billy Flynn).
‘The show is so good,? Daniel said. ‘This cast is fantastic and the material is so good that you can’t screw it up.?
Daniel plays the swing part, meaning he is responsible for covering eight different men’s parts.
‘You never know what part you’re going to have,? he said. ‘Sometimes I have to do two at once.?
The second week of the Detroit stop, Daniel will be playing Amos Hart, one of the show’s leads.
According to Daniel, there are some surprises in the play that don’t happen in the movie, and he notes, ‘there’s no substitute for seeing it live.?
Daniel has been on a few tours that has taken him through Detroit before.
‘The last time I was here was for South Pacific about four years ago,? said the actor, who has also come home for performances of The Wizard of Oz and Jekyll & Hyde.
Though he knew in the back of his mind that acting was always what he wanted to do, Daniel needed a little push from his parents to get him over the edge.
‘In high school I was thinking the same thing everyone else thinks: ‘What am I going to do with my life???
He planned on only minoring in dance and musical theatre in college, but his parents told him to just go for it.
‘They didn’t want me to say ‘What if?? somewhere down the road,? Daniel said.
He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wright State.
‘The day I graduated, I got on a plane and went to New York,? he said.
Daniel said his first big break was in The Wizard of Oz on Broadway, which starred Roseanne Barr.
He then landed a role in the final cast of Cats.
He has done many other shows in New York, as well as quite a few tours.
‘This career takes you pretty much everywhere,? Daniel said, noting that he has performed everywhere from cruise ships to European tours.
With the cast of Chicago, Daniel spent last summer in Japan, and said that more international travel could be in the works sometime soon.
Daniel will spend the foreseeable future with this tour.
‘I’m happy where I am right now, and I like getting a steady paycheck,? he said. ‘But there are always a few irons in the fire.?
For ticket information to see Chicago at the Fisher Theatre, visit any Ticketmaster location.
The show runs from Feb. 14-March 5 with eight shows a week: Tuesday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.