Erika Jayne is Roxie Hart
“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne’s performance in the Broadway production of Chicago is not just another stunt-cast mid-January tourist grab.
Okay, it very much is, but it is one of the most poignant, zeitgeisty showcases of a C-list celebrity performing on Broadway in years. There hasn’t been a performer so in-touch with the character since Ashlee Simpson, another singer-turned-reality-star, took up the reins as Roxie Hart in the Los Angeles production of Chicago in 2009. What is so deliciously camp about these performances is the undeniable parallel between Roxie Hart, the character, and the pedigree that comes with being a reality star; it’s all fame for fame’s sake. If anyone succeeds at blurring the lines between celebrity and self, it’s Erika Jayne: reality TV queen, designer label aficionado, electronica singer, and newly-minted make-up mogul. Her persona and talent are inherently tied up in her celebrity, and we love her for it.
Erika is the quintessence of Roxie in her life off-stage. She has achieved adoration and success that transcend, any vocal talent she may or may not have. The Bob Fosse musical has been on Broadway since 1995, and the casting of Erika Jayne as Roxie is a welcomed, punched-up refresh of the faded relic of the New York stage.
Within Bravo’s circle of stars, Erika is a touchstone of our vast, unscripted celluloid ecosystem. Before joining Housewives, Erika had already achieved modest success as a singer, but her status soon elevated with her debut on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” reality show in 2015. An instant fan favorite, her vivacious matter-of-fact personality, and glamorous style have led to her success in other areas of culture including a major cosmetics collaboration, multiple pop music world tours, and now as a top-billed Broadway performer. The sheer cult of personality and devotion from the Housewives’ universe has masked a deficiency in her vocal abilities because when it comes down to it, we love her no matter what she tries. She is Erika Jayne.
Roxie Hart, who has been portrayed by several actresses over Chicago’s twenty-five-year history on Broadway, follows a narrative in the vein of our current pipeline of talent from Youtube, Tiktok, Bravo or TLC. The wife of an older, pathetic man that no one takes seriously, she fantasizes about a life she never had. After trial and error (and an actual trial) she achieves fame through unconventional means but is satisfied with her newfound celebrity nonetheless. Her talents overlooked, she dreams of performing on stage from the start and end of the show, never quite breaking through the way she pictures.
Erika is the ultimate choice for this role, one that is often stunt-cast given the character’s limited dancing and singing requirements, and she shines. Notably, the role of Roxie Hart has featured a variety of big-name performers over Chicago’s twenty-five years on broadway, including Lisa Rinna, Erika’s Housewives castmate.
While I am part of this personality cult as much as the next Housewives’ fan, I had to see her embody Roxie during her winter run in the show. The Saturday night performance at the Ambassador Theater would be Erika’s best, even if it’s not necessarily the best performance one can see on Broadway. While her dancing and acting abilities were surprisingly excellent, as expected her lack of vocal power was noticeable. Stunt-casting and a show that’s been running for decades, is a draw purely for tourists and theater-goers who are inexperienced so expectations are lowered. Yet Erika’s performance was not something to be ignored. She sashayed with the best of the dancers, had excellent comedic timing, and carried herself with confidence. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Her high-wattage performance was a stand-out amidst the more tenured Broadway stars in the roles of Billy Flynn and Velma Kelly. It was like watching a superstar show-up to open mic night, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
The best part of the evening was witnessing her exit at the stage door to sign autographs for the fans. I have been to the stage doors of Network starring Bryan Cranston, and The Boys in the Band with Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, and a slew of other incredibly famous actors, but I had never seen this amount of fanfare over a celebrity. Erika took selfies and spoke to as many people as possible on her way out, donning her show makeup and a heavily logoed Fendi Zucca print winter jacket. Once it was deemed by her squad that it was the end of the night, she hurriedly entered the black BMW, slammed the door, and handed her pen to the assistant waiting inside. They promptly sped off down 49th street, and back to her temporary apartment, probably in a glassy highrise overlooking the Hudson River. A rush of energy among the women and their male counterparts floated between us, omnipresent in the night air after her departure. Lots of deep breaths, tweets, and phone calls made to express astonishment at her presence, lapping up any extra Erika-tinged essence left on a decayed Time Square-adjacent street. We had just been graced by our icon, and she was as immaculately poised and radiant as we’d hoped.
