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Video: Erika Jayne Is Coming Back to Broadway in CHICAGO
Jan 18, 2025
5 years later... Erika Jayne is back! triple threat Erika Jayne, known best as a cast member of Bravo's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, returns to the stage this winter in Chicago. Watch in this video as she chats more about everything Roxie Hart!
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Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
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Erica Jane, who is known from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, is returning to Broadway, stepping into the role of Roxy Heart
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in the Razled As a Musical, Chicago, which is now in its 28th year, the Ambassador Theater
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She'll be in the show from January 20th through February 9th, and I caught up with her here at The Legendary Sardis
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Well, Erica, it is great to be sitting with you here at The Legendary Sardis
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What a pleasure. This is a legendary place. Yeah. Welcome back to New York
0:30
Thank you. So you're about to step back into the role of Roxy Hart on January 20th. 20th
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So have you been to the theater yet? I have. I've been rehearsing for two days so far, and there is nothing like being on stage at the Ambassador
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I mean, first off, it's Broadway, but there's just something very special about the Ambassador Theater
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It's been five years to the, almost the day that I started my run as Roxy on here in Chicago
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But this time it's a little bit sweeter. You know, life has thrown me a few curveballs
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And so being back on stage, having the opportunity to revisit the character is a true pleasure
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Well, let's tell our audience, you started in this in 2020. Yes. January, I think six, honestly, of 2020, went all the way through March
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And then COVID stepped in and ended my run 16 shows short
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Yeah. So take me back to the first time around. What do you remember about the first night
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your opening night, your Broadway debut is Roxy? First night Broadway debut, absolute nerves
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I mean just like crawling skin crawling just butterflies I think I wanted to vomit but I got through it And it just so special to be on stage like that
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and to do it over and over and to really get to live in the character
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So talk to me about Monday and Tuesday. So being back now, putting Roxy back into your body again
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How cool is that? It's very cool. And there were moments, I was like, that's right. I'm supposed to be over here
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And then I go over there. And so it started to all click again, which is really nice
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It feels, it's a little bit sweeter this time. Yeah. Yeah. So when you originally found out you were going to be in Chicago the first time around
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why Chicago and what made you say, yes, I have to do this? Well, first off, why not Chicago
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It's one of the most legendary stories, musicals, anything that you could come up with
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And Roxy Hart is a particularly interesting character. I don't think that there are enough female characters that are as complex as she is
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And it's a, I mean, it's a legendary show from top to bottom. So when you started working on her
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I love about Chicago is everyone who goes in is allowed to make these roles their own
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Yes, that is true. What did you want to bring to your, Roxy? Authenticity
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I think, like, the first time, you know, how do I say this
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The first time around life was different. Yesterday, five years later. Yeah
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There are some words, there are some lines that I delivered that could not be more true, that just life has handed me
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And Roxy is a survivor. I'm a survivor of the last moments of my life
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And I think that you can feel that And the audience feels that Isn it great that you can use your real life and filter it through creativity when the two of them meet Sometimes this is a little too close Yeah
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In this particular case, but yes, it is, it doesn't, you don't have to stretch
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Does that make sense? Like you really don't have to stretch to put yourself in Roxy's shoes. Yeah
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First thing I ever did for Roxy was her movement. So it would be Fosse
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And then we moved into vocals and learning the songs. Third was staging
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I think because you know honestly though courtroom is probably the largest musical number
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of the entire show even though it's not like a musical number but it is set to music
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so what is it like doing those Fosse Anne-Ranking moves God if I could only do them like Anne
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but it feels pretty awesome you know I mean I it's comfortable it feels good
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there's such a sensuality and a simplicity I know that that's kind of interesting
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but there's a simplicity and sensuality about the choreography that I think is super
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special. Yeah. And just working on Broadway what it's meant to you. It's a dream come true. I mean
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the privilege of being on Broadway, for me, I think, you know, just being a kid growing up in
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musical theater, this was the ultimate dream. And then the iconic score written by John
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Kander and Fred Ebb. I mean like every single song tells a perfect story of the character
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and you get to know these people through the lyrics. You know, this musical has been playing
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28 years this production. Yes. So it's 28th theater at the Ambassador Theater
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What is it about Chicago that people fly in from all over the world to experience this show
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I believe it what Chicago is based on It is murder love lust like all of these superhuman things that draw everyone into the story of Chicago And then it perfectly executed through the vision of Bob Fossey
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Amrock, and going burden and everyone else. Then this is the beautiful look of the clothes you get
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to wear, which were originally designed by William I.B. Long, the first time you saw yourself
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made up in the mirror as Roxy, like hair, outfit, shoes, everything. What went through your mind
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She's here. Like, this is it. Like, I'm in the 20s. This is happening. We're going to go
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like, you know, she's arrived. There's nothing quite like that. And when you're rehearsing in the studio
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even if you're in the theater, like, yes, you feel it. But the moment you put on your costume, you have your hair and makeup on and you're ready
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then you can really lean into the character. Yeah. You know, another great thing is since the Real Housewives
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and everything else you're known for, many people may be coming to a Broadway show
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for the very first time, because, like, they love you from TV and everything else
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And we're like, oh, my God, they do this live. Yeah, so please do not take pictures
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Please do not yell at me when I'm on the stage. Because sometimes, and I don't mean that in a bad way, but sometimes you're like, hey, Erica, I'm like
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I'm not Erica. I'm Roxy. But not only that, please put your phone down. Like, just enjoy the moment, guys
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This is live theaters. So there are, you know, you're on. That's it
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Whatever comes out of your mouth is whatever comes out of your mouth. If you miss a step, you miss a step
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If you're not in place, you're not in place. But that is the beauty of theater
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It's live. And no show is the same because of that. So one night you may
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feel particularly good. Another night, it may be like, oh my gosh, like I missed
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something, but that is the beauty of theater. Had the best time during your run, we'll be there
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Thank you. Please come to the show. Oh, I'm coming to see you again. I'm coming to see you again
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