Nadia Boule: Greece’s Roxie on Broadway talks women’s empowerment and the magic of Chicago

The talented actress is the first Greek artist to participate in a Broadway production. She shares her love for the musical, her role as Roxie, and her three-year-old daughter, whom she has no intention of leaving behind during her European tour.

The theater season is starting strong this year in Greece with a production straight from Broadway—Chicago. The longest-running musical on the historic street of New York theaters will tour almost all of Europe over the next eight months, beginning its journey from Greece at the Christmas Theater on October 18.

Chicago is set in the heart of the city during the Prohibition era and follows the captivating story of Roxie Hart, a young dancer with big dreams of fame. When Roxie finds herself entangled in a scandalous murder case, she hires the skillful and charismatic lawyer Billy Flynn to manipulate the media and sway public opinion in her favor. However, she soon discovers that she is not the only one vying for the spotlight, as her cellmate, Velma Kelly, a vaudeville star, also struggles for fame and freedom amid the chaos of the Cook County Jail.

The timeless tale of crime, passion, and fame by Bob Fosse will transport us to the 1920s through songs, dance, and stories based on real figures, just as it is presented on Broadway, featuring an ensemble of exceptional artists selected from the elite of the West End and Broadway.

Among them is Nadia Boule—the first Greek artist to join the cast of a Broadway production. She plays Roxie and, as she told us in an interview just before the premiere, she feels immense joy and anticipation for this professional journey.

“The most beautiful thing is when you step on stage and have the audience before you.”

How did you feel when you were told you got the role?
“I learned about the audition from my agency—these auditions are closed, meaning agents find out about them and notify their artists. I sent a showreel, which is a sample of my work on the musical, and after that, I submitted a self-tape to the creative team and then met with the director. There were quite a few stages.

When I got the call from my agency telling me I got the role, I was ecstatic. It took a while because everything happened over various phases during the summer. I was anxious and excited, especially for such a project.

I’ve done many auditions in my life, so I’m familiar with the process and understand that it might not work out. Many factors come into play, and a lot of it is luck—it’s not all within your control. I know that if I don’t succeed in one audition, it doesn’t mean I’m a failure, and if I do, it doesn’t mean I’m the best. However, the joy is immense, especially when the demands for such roles and productions are so high.

Even greater joy comes after that process is finished, when you go to rehearsals and meet the people you’ll be working with every day—each day unfolds the work and effort. I think that’s even more beautiful than the auditions, which can be very taxing. Of course, the best part is when you step on stage and face the audience.”

What was the biggest challenge you faced during the auditions?
“The global market is now open to everyone. In the past, there were much tighter frames for what anyone could do—most notably the language barrier. For me, that’s a big challenge. You could be the most talented person, but if you can’t speak the language and sound like a native speaker, it’s hard to move forward. I think that’s the biggest obstacle.

I believe that a Greek woman suddenly appearing in front of them and saying, ‘Hello, I’m here’ was the most difficult part. They didn’t treat me differently—on the contrary, they were excellent. It’s just that they probably didn’t expect me to speak English so well or sound American. They kept asking me if I lived in Greece and how I would perform in a language that wasn’t my native one. It wasn’t familiar to them.”

This isn’t the first time Nadia Boule plays Roxie Hart. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down in 2020, she participated in the Greek adaptation of the musical at the theater alongside Argyros Pantazaras, under the direction of Yiannis Kakleas.

How did that experience influence your current approach?
“Since I’ve played the role before, I feel a sense of familiarity. However, there is a fundamental difference. That production wasn’t a replica; it wasn’t the same as the original. Now, in this production, we are working with the creative team that sets it up on Broadway, with Bob Fosse’s choreography, and that entails certain demands. Even though it’s the same work, the approach is completely different.

I’ve worked on it before, so I feel closer to it than a piece I would read for the first time, but the language, direction, set design, and the entire production change things quite a bit. At the same time, I feel a strong flutter because I know that the Greek audience will see me perform for the first time in a foreign language.”

What do you think is the most powerful message of the show?
“It’s its social commentary. The story unfolds in Chicago, America, in the 1920s. However, it makes many comments about how America, the American justice system, and public opinion viewed women and crime back then. I think the times we live in, with everything happening and America’s involvement in the Middle East, make it very contemporary as a commentary. The way America deals with criminals and people in general remains the same. The commentary Bob Fosse makes in the work is unique.

Of course, a lot has changed since the era the work takes place in, especially regarding feminist issues, and that has changed because women (and many men who support women) have fought tooth and nail for these rights.

But having 2024, being an American citizen (I’ll speak about America since we mentioned it), and being forbidden to have an abortion shows that we’re taking many steps backward. We must not take anything for granted, as we’ve seen—achievements can be lost. That is shocking, and the fact that it happens in a country that is supposed to advocate for human rights makes it even more intense.”

Nadia Boule begins her journey as Roxie Hart at the Christmas Theater on October 18 and will be in Greece for three days. After that, she will travel to 18 European countries, some of which she has never visited, which she is also excited about.

Chicago, the Musical
October 18, 19, and 20 at Christmas Theater, 137 Veikou Avenue, Galatsi.

Find tickets here.

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