Source: Dong-A Ilbo · 문화연예

What happened

In a written interview with Dong-A Ilbo published September 8, Barry Weissler (87), the Broadway producer behind the long-running revival of Chicago, defended casting Ivy (44) as Roxie Hart — making Ivy the first Korean actor to take the lead role on Broadway. The casting was announced August 17 (local time) the prior month. Weissler’s headline message: “Only the language on stage changed. In the end, talent decides the outcome.”

The breakdown

Weissler and Fran Weissler revived Chicago on Broadway in 1996 after its 1975 premiere. A seven-time Tony Award winner, he told Dong-A he cast Ivy after watching years of growth in one role — not because language barriers vanish on their own.

From 2012 through 2024, Ivy played Roxie Hart 592 times on Korean stages in Korean-language Chicago runs spanning more than a decade. After Ivy pledged more than a year of English prep, Weissler said he believed “this actor is sincere and can absolutely pull it off.”

Ivy submitted three video auditions over roughly one year. Weissler recalled early rounds focused on English pronunciation and line delivery, then a shift as Ivy folded her Korean-built Roxie into English and began improvising and fully immersing — the point where language stopped blocking the acting.

Weissler said Chicago is a global brand in its 30th Broadway year, but new audiences still matter. Ivy’s recognition is far higher in Korea than in the U.S., he noted, while citing Korean populations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Broadway leads, he added, must balance star draw and ticket sales with workable English.

Dong-A lists prior Chicago breakouts Bianca Marrokin (Mexico), Amra-Faye Wright (South Africa), and Yonekura Ryoko (Japan). Asked about more Korean casting, Weissler quipped that “talent works everywhere” but “the biggest barrier might be the visa process.”

Performance dates, theater name, and ticket links are not reported in the article.

Why it matters outside Korea

For K-musical watchers and Asian diaspora theater fans, this is a producer vouching for craft crossing language, not a fan-campaign headline. Weissler still names ticket economics and visa logistics — the mix that keeps most skilled Korean musical actors at home despite K-culture buzz.

What travelers and expats should watch

• Tri-state Korean audiences: Weissler cites New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Korean communities — watch official Chicago Broadway channels for Ivy’s run dates and any community group-ticket pushes once schedules firm up.
• Language expectations: Weissler stresses English delivery as a gatekeeper. Booking for non-Korean-speaking visitors? Confirm supertitles or program notes; Dong-A does not report an access policy for Ivy’s run.

Context

Read this as a producer vouching that a Korean-built Roxie survived English transfer, not as proof that Broadway has suddenly opened wide for Korean musical actors. The operational story is 592 Korean performances plus a year of auditions, with ticket economics and visa logistics still in the frame. K-culture buzz helps the headline travel; Weissler’s test is whether U.S. audiences who did not know Ivy leave as fans.

Source

Dong-A Ilbo · 문화연예: “[단독]브로드웨이 PD “아이비가 완성한 자신만의 록시, 영어로도 통했다"" — Korean original; casting date, performance counts, audition timeline, producer quotes, international precedents, and commercial framing from Dong-A; paraphrased for briefing; read the original for photos and full Korean text.