“Language is no barrier”: Barry Weissler praises Ivy’s talent ahead of Broadway debut

“The only thing that has changed is the language in which she acts on stage. In the end, talent is what decides the contest.” That is how Barry Weissler, the internationally renowned producer of the Broadway musical Chicago, explained his decision to cast Ivy as Roxie.

In a written interview with the Dong-A Ilbo on the 8th, Weissler said the choice reflected Ivy’s ability as an actor. He selected her for the role on the 17th of the previous month, making her the first Korean actor to take on the Broadway production’s Roxie role.

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The only thing that has changed is the language in which she acts on stage. In the end, talent is what decides the contest.

Weissler, 87, also said he was looking forward to American audiences discovering an outstanding actor they had not previously known. “I’m very excited that American audiences who did not know Ivy can discover such a talented actor and enjoy her performance.”

Together with his wife, Fran Weissler, he brought the musical Chicago, first staged in 1975, to Broadway as a 1996 revival and helped turn it into a long-running success. The veteran producer has won the Tony Awards, regarded as the highest honor in American theater and musical theater, seven times.

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I’m very excited that American audiences who did not know Ivy can discover such a talented actor and enjoy her performance.