Olivia Holt is ready for something new. The actress is making her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago beginning April 10. She’ll play an 8-week engagement through June 4. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Olivia about why she decided to do Broadway.
“I have always loved theater. I’ve always loved musical theater. I really wanted to mix it up a little bit, and the opportunity presented itself and I really wanted it,” Olivia said. “I really fought for it. To be a part of this show and to play this character was a dream I didn’t even know existed.”
The actress and singer rose to fame in the Disney XD series Kickin’ It and recently received critical acclaim for her performance in Freeform’s hit series Cruel Summer. Going from TV and film to the Broadway stage has been a “massive transition” for Olivia.
“I’ve sort of had to rewire my brain and my physicality. For so long I’ve been trained to work in TV or film and sort of close everything in and be less expressive with either my facial expressions or my physicality, but now I’m kind of having to rework all of that and just let it all out to feel comfortable and have the freedom to do that,” the 25-year-old told HollywoodLife.
To prepare for her Broadway run, Olivia began vocal lessons. “I’ve been doing specific breathing techniques and just really taking care of my voice and body,” the actress revealed. “Working out as much as possible and stretching as much as possible, just really getting comfortable with moving my body, preserving my energy, and my voice to make sure I’m in good hands with myself.”
When it comes to the musical numbers, Olivia admitted she was “really nervous” going into rehearsals. “I honestly picked everything up pretty quickly… I want it to be perfect because I’m a perfectionist,” she said.
Olivia’s process to get into the character of Roxie Hart included creating a backstory and an “I Am Roxie” playlist. “I really want to feel like this is going to be fun for a whole new generation of fans. I really believe that that can happen if we all put in such great work,” Olivia said.