Character guide
Roxie Hart
from Chicago
Roxie Hart is the fame-hungry, scheming showgirl at the center of Chicago, the 1975 musical satire of celebrity and the justice system with music by John Kander.
- Show
- Chicago
- Broadway premiere
- 1975
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- John Kander
Roxie Hart on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 2002 film
Gwen Verdon originated Roxie on Broadway in 1975; Renee Zellweger played her in Rob Marshall's 2002 film, which won six Oscars including Best Picture and earned Zellweger a Best Actress nomination. The film's biggest change is structural: the songs play out as fantasies inside Roxie's head, while the real-life scenes are shot with a hard-edged grittiness.
Roxie is older than both. She comes from Maurine Dallas Watkins's 1926 play Chicago, which was filmed as a 1927 silent starring Phyllis Haver and again as Roxie Hart (1942) with Ginger Rogers.
Who is Roxie Hart?
Roxie is an ambitious wannabe star whose dreams of vaudeville stardom take a violent turn, landing her in jail and thrusting her into the middle of a media circus. Rather than shrink from the attention, she leans into it, competing with fellow inmate Velma Kelly for headlines and using the same media obsession she was chasing all along to try to save herself.
What makes Roxie so enduring is her sheer nerve. She is self-serving and unreliable, but her hunger for the spotlight is also darkly funny, and the show uses her as a lens for skewering how easily fame can be manufactured out of scandal.
Playing Roxie Hart on stage
Roxie is a lead role that calls for a performer equally comfortable with sharp comedic timing, sultry jazz-inflected singing, and demanding dance work rooted in the show's signature Fosse-style choreography. The part requires strong physical stamina and precise musicality, since much of Roxie's characterization is expressed through movement as much as song.
Actors are drawn to the role because it allows for a lot of theatrical flair and personality, letting a performer play both victim and manipulator within the same number, which keeps the character feeling fresh production after production.
Roxie Hart: frequently asked questions
What show is Roxie Hart from?
Roxie Hart is a lead character in Chicago, which opened in 1975.
Is Roxie Hart a lead or supporting role?
Roxie Hart is a lead role and one of the two central characters in Chicago.
Who wrote the music for Chicago?
John Kander composed the music for Chicago.
Think you can name today's mystery character in eight guesses?
Play today's Character Guesser