Ivy [Shinsicompany]
Ivy [Shinsicompany]

"The name on everybody's lips is gonna be Ivy!" (Broadway.com)

Singer and musical actor Ivy is heading to Broadway — through the long-running musical "Chicago," which has captivated Korean audiences for years.

According to producer Shinsicompany and local Broadway media, Ivy has been cast as Roxie Hart in "Chicago," running for three weeks from Aug. 17 to Sept. 6 at the Ambassador Theatre in New York.

BroadwayWorld, New York Theatre Guide and other local outlets gave prominent coverage to the news, reporting that "Korean pop star and musical actor Ivy is making her Broadway debut." Ivy will take over the role from Krysta Rodriguez, who currently leads the Broadway production.

"Chicago" swept six Tony Awards in 1997 and also claimed a Grammy. The show is widely regarded as a masterwork of cynical satire targeting judicial corruption and media sensationalism in 1920s America — and it holds special significance for Ivy. She first joined the Korean production as Roxie Hart in 2012, winning the best new actress award at that year's Korean Musical Awards, and went on to lead nearly 600 performances across six seasons through 2024.

According to Shinsicompany, Ivy caught the attention of Broadway's creative team last year and received an unexpected audition offer. She secured the lead role on the American stage after completing three rigorous rounds of video screenings.

While Korean musical actors have made it to Broadway before, Ivy's path is rare. In 2014, actor Hong Gwang-ho received a direct invitation from an English-language production and went straight into a lead role — in the West End original of "Miss Saigon."

What sets Ivy's case apart is that she is moving directly from the lead role in a licensed Korean production — one she has performed hundreds of times — into the same role in the American production itself, a feat without precedent. After her Broadway run, Ivy will also appear in the Korean production of "Chicago," opening Dec. 5 at LG Arts Center in Seoul — a triumphant homecoming following her historic Broadway debut.

"I am honored and overjoyed to take the stage on Broadway as Roxie Hart — my first lead role and the character I love most," Ivy said. "There was a year of waiting and three rounds of video auditions, which makes this opportunity all the more precious. I feel a deep sense of responsibility, and I will prepare with everything I have, representing Korea."


shee@heraldcorp.com