For those who have seen the show Chicago, have you heard about its latest Broadway musical? We have an exclusive interview with Olivia Holt, who stars as Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical Chicago! We can’t wait to talk to Olivia about her role as Roxie, her thoughts and experience with the musical and cast members, and more. While the show was released in 2002, there will be no need to watch the show, as Chicago on Broadway will be showcasing the contents of the show. However, for those who do want to watch the show before watching the musical, this article will avoid extensive spoilers for those who haven’t watched the show yet. For those who want to experience the differences between the 2002 show and the musical, we highly recommend watching the show before reading this article for maximum enjoyment of this interview. And now, onto this interview and its refresher.

You might remember that Chicago is one of the longest, running musicals in American history. Well, this fact still holds to this day! Chicago on Broadway stars the story of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, both young ladies charged and facing a murder trial. With the sight of the glorified media sensation and the promise of becoming celebrities, with the added plus of winning an acquittal, the two girls face off to garner both the attention and services of the sleazy and shady lawyer, Billy Flynn. The musical boasts having a “killer” score with stunning dance numbers, and this musical offers to show the audience a lurid story of murder, justice, and adultery that makes you want more!

You might believe that the 2002 show of Chicago was the main inspiration for its current Broadway version. While it may be an inspiration, we need to dive deeper into its original origins. Chicago was originally a musical in 1975, with music written by John Kander, the book written by Bob and Ebb Fosse, and its lyrics written by Fred Ebb. But before that version, that musical was heavily inspired by the play Chicago, written by Maurine Dallas Watkins in 1926. The story of the film/Broadway musical/play was based on actual criminals and the crimes that Maurine once reported on, and as an example, Roxie Hart’s model was based on a woman named Beulah Annan. We highly recommend reading more about the history behind this, it’s really interesting!

Here’s a refresher on Olivia! Those who watched Disney shows from the 2000s might recognize her from her Disney character, Kim Crawford from Kickin’ It. From a young age, Olivia started singing and acting on stage, eventually becoming part of numerous indie films and productions, including some television commercials as well. For those who don’t recognize her from that role, you might recognize her for her other ones: Tandy Bowen from Cloak & Dagger, Lindy Watson from I Didn’t Do It, and Kate Wallis from Cruel Summer.

We start by asking Olivia about her debut and her theatre experience, as she was mainly involved in music, television, and the works, and if being in theatre has been her aspiration. Olivia talks about how she had always loved theatre and started her acting career with theatre. Olivia talks about how fun and exciting it was when she did theatre back in her hometown, and she fondly remembered how much she loved being on stage. Upon getting into television, Olivia mentions that it was an entirely new realm. But during those times, she had always thought of returning to theatre and wanting it to be done the right way if she did, for it to be something that she was excited about and moved for. Next, we ask what the audition process was like. Olivia talks about how she found herself in an interesting position in the previous few years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and talks about how she wanted to challenge herself with something new. Upon hearing that the opportunity of starring as Roxie came up, Olivia auditioned and went through a few scenes with Roxie’s monologue and some choreography. Olivia expresses how she fought for it, and talks about how she wanted to be a part of this musical. She mentions how lucky she feels and is very grateful that it’s happening to her. We also ask Olivia about her familiarity with the original show, Chicago. Olivia talks about how she has seen the show almost 10 years ago and mentions that she’s familiar with the movie. Curious to know more? Check out the interview below to see what else Olivia has to say about Chicago and her character!

Thank you, Olivia, for spending some time with us! You can follow her on her Instagram @olivia_holt. Please also watch the interview below, where we ask Olivia even more questions about her time in the musical, her character Roxie, and a few other things! While you’re there, be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment!