Singer and musical actress Ivy Broadway Chicago journey has reached a historic milestone as she proudly carves her name onto the famous New York stage.
On the 6th, Ivy’s YouTube channel released a video titled ‘Hello, I’m Ivy. I went and carved my name on Broadway.’ The footage captures her solo journey to New York to perform as Roxie in the hit musical ‘Chicago.’
Upon arriving in New York, Ivy showed a bright demeanor, stating, ‘I am the New York correspondent Ivy,’ while also revealing her nervousness: ‘I arrived last night and had a rehearsal right away. I’m already nervous to see how it will feel.’ Walking past the theater district, she expressed awe, saying, ‘Now the theaters are coming into view. I can’t believe I’m performing in New York.’
However, the path to her dream stage was far from easy. Immediately upon arrival, Ivy dived into non-stop singing, script reading, and choreography practice. During her first theater rehearsal, she had to directly process fast-paced English feedback without an interpreter. Back at her accommodation, the practice continued. Unable to let go of her script and sheet music, she confessed, ‘I have no idea if I’m in New York or Seoul. I can’t sleep. When I close my eyes, my eyeballs feel like they’re shaking,’ adding, ‘I’m anxious because my lines keep running through my mind.’
She felt particularly pressured regarding English pronunciation. She shared, ‘Pronunciations that don’t work just keep not working. It’s difficult to make sounds that don’t exist in our language,’ and added, ‘This isn’t casual conversation; audiences need to understand my lines. They say it doesn’t have to be perfect, but I have to pursue perfection.’ She practiced even more fiercely after being repeatedly corrected on the same pronunciations by local native staff members.
Ahead of the performance, Ivy even managed an English radio interview in the US, joking that she had ‘given up on her appearance’ while making sure to eat hearty meals. She prepared her stage by doing her own makeup at her Airbnb accommodation and received the news that her photo would be featured on a Times Square billboard.
On the day of the performance, when her image appeared on the massive Times Square digital billboard, Ivy could not hide her overwhelming emotions, saying, ‘It feels unreal. It still doesn’t feel real.’ Arriving at the backstage dressing room, she checked her feedback until the very end. Finding her name officially listed at the Broadway theater, Ivy turned her dream moment into reality. The production team also praised Ivy, calling her ‘the treasure of Chicago.’
For Ivy, a singer with over 20 years in the industry and a 16-year veteran musical actress, Broadway marked a brand new starting point. She compared this challenge to when she first debuted as a singer, stating that she felt fear, dread, and excitement all at once. Facing her first performance, Ivy expressed deep emotion by saying, ‘I can’t believe it. I’m on Broadway,’ and thanked those who supported her. Bumping into challenges like a rookie despite her long career, Ivy completed yet another major challenge by engraving her name on Broadway.
