The Broadway Debut That Took 12 Years
Six seasons, nearly 600 performances, and three auditions prepared Ivy for one of theater’s biggest stages
Ivy’s Broadway debut may look sudden. Reaching New York took 12 years, six seasons, nearly 600 performances, and three video auditions.
The South Korean singer and actress first played Roxie Hart in the Korean production of Chicago in 2012. She returned to the role through 2024, developing its comedy, ambition, vulnerability, and theatrical rhythm.
That first season earned her the 2012 Korean Musical Award for Best New Actress. But the prize did not end her relationship with Roxie. Each revival became an opportunity to refine the character.
In 2025, the Broadway production invited Ivy to audition. What followed was not an immediate offer, but a year of preparation, uncertainty, and waiting. She completed three video auditions while continuing English dialogue and pronunciation training.
Being selected as a leading performer in a Broadway production is rare for a musical actress based in Korea. For Ivy, the opportunity carried meaning because Chicago was the production that helped establish her theatrical career.
“This opportunity is precious, and I feel a great sense of responsibility,” Ivy said before her debut. She described Roxie as her first leading role and the character she loves most, promising to approach Broadway as a representative of South Korea.
Ivy will begin her limited engagement at the Ambassador Theatre on August 17 and continue through September 6. Her journey offers a different picture of success: not an overnight transformation, but one role repeated, refined, and carried across an ocean.
— Charles J. B
