Billy Dee Williams Withdraws from The Mambo Kings

Billy Dee Williams has withdrawn from the upcoming Broadway musical The Mambo Kings due to an aggravated hip condition, according to a production spokesperson.

Best known for his work in such films as Mahogany and the Star Wars series, Williams was to have played nightclub impresario Fernando Perez, the role played by Roscoe Lee Browne in the 1992 film version of The Mambo Kings. The musical is set to begin previews at the Broadway Theater on July 20; a replacement for Williams will be announced in the coming days.

The Mambo Kings will have a pre-Broadway engagement at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre, May 24-June 19. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Oscar Hijuelos, the musical has a book by Hijuelos and Arne Glimcher, and a score by Glimcher and Carlos Franzetti. It stars Esai Morales, Jaime Camil, Albita, and Justina Machado. The show’s Broadway opening is set for August 18.