Dominican actress Karla Fatule is preparing to open in the title role of Roxie Hart in a new Dominican production of the Broadway musical "Chicago," set to premiere at the Teatro Nacional in Santo Domingo on September 12.
The production is staged by José Llano and directed by María Castillo. Fatule stars alongside Robmariel Olea as Velma Kelly and Javier Grullón as Billy Flynn, part of a cast of more than 50 artists who have spent almost four months rehearsing. The set design, costumes and choreography were all created in the Dominican Republic.
Fatule said taking on Roxie was almost an act of instinct. She said she accepted the role without thinking it over too much, because she knew that if she deliberated, doubts would creep in given the physical, mental and personal commitment the part demands.
Breaking away from a sweet image
Fatule said the role also meant confronting the assumptions people have about her. She said she is usually seen as sweet, likeable, almost like a little princess, while Roxie is sensual, ambitious, provocative and unafraid to show her less likeable side.
She said she did not wait for anyone else to tell her she could play the part, adding that she was the first person who believed she could do it.
Finding her version of Roxie meant shedding certain inhibitions, Fatule said. She said she knew she had to fully bare herself in front of the entire cast and, eventually, the audience, portraying Roxie's sensuality and power alongside her ability to feign innocence while, as Fatule put it, being a scoundrel underneath.
She said the process became something deeper than simply building a character, since no one else can validate you, only you can validate yourself. She said playing Roxie has left her trusting herself completely.
Having recently seen "Chicago" performed on Broadway, Fatule said she realized the role does not belong to a single actress. She said every performer brings her own stamp, her own humor, her own sensuality and mischief to the part, and that her version is a woman without filters who says and does what others hold back out of fear of judgment.
Four months of rehearsals
Fatule said the long rehearsal process has naturally turned the company into a community, joking that she now sees her castmates more than she sees her own children.
She traced her belief that limits usually begin in one's own head back to a shift in mindset around 2019, when she learned to celebrate other artists' achievements instead of seeing them as a threat, saying that the more you celebrate others, the more doors tend to open for you. She said she applies the same approach to rejection, explaining that her experience as a producer taught her that not landing a role often has little to do with talent and can instead come down to a director's vision, the ensemble or countless other factors.
Her start in theatre
Fatule's connection to theatre began well before her career, through her father, whom she used to accompany to rehearsals. She said she was very withdrawn and easily embarrassed as a child. Her first project as a performer was "High School Musical," where she met people who became her closest friends and found a sense of community, prompting her to decide she wanted to do more, even without pay.
That period led her to train for a year under the late Dominican theatre figure Nuryn Sanlley, who taught a group of eighty students jazz, tap, singing and acting for free. Fatule said she was fifteen at the time, going straight from school to class still in her uniform with her school bag. She said there is still no way to fully repay what Sanlley instilled in them, and noted that Javier Grullón, her Billy Flynn co-star, along with performers Stephanie Pina, George Osilady and Abraham Lebrón, all came out of that same training group.
Concern for Dominican culture
Beyond "Chicago," Fatule expressed concern about the state of Dominican culture, saying the country is going through a complete downturn on that front. Even so, she said she has no plans to leave the profession, saying performing is the only thing she knows how to do and that is why she will not give it up.
She said she hopes Dominican theatre can eventually reach far more people, with more support and visibility, and that officials come to understand that theatre is where cultural development begins, extending into education and beyond. She described theatre as her salvation, noting that a single weekend of performances can draw 8,000 people, and said there is an audience hungry for projects like this one, including many who cannot travel and depend on local productions for that kind of experience.
Asked whether she would choose this career again, Fatule answered without hesitation that she would. She said she wants to keep fighting for Dominican theatre from within the country and never have to leave in order to keep working, hoping instead to be based there while also taking on international projects and helping local theatre keep growing and filling venues.
Why "Chicago" still resonates
Fatule suggested that conviction is part of why "Chicago" remains so relevant, saying the show is a full protest against the system and against what people are willing to do to go viral today.
"Chicago" is set in the 1920s, during the era of the Charleston and jazz, and follows Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two women accused of murder who, with the help of lawyer Billy Flynn, turn their cases into a media spectacle. Together they manipulate the justice system and exploit the power of the press in a bid for fame, recognition and acquittal.
Fatule will get her chance to embody that story as Roxie Hart when the production opens on Saturday, September 12. Tickets are available through Uepa Tickets.
