Donna Marie Asbury on Saying Goodbye to Broadway's Chicago After 20 Years

In the corporate world, employees leaving a job are often asked to sit through an exit interview with HR about their time at the company. That concept doesn’t exist for Broadway performers, but we love checking in with stars as they finish up a successful run. Donna Marie Asbury has had a long career on Broadway. She made her debut (back when she was Donna Marie Elio) as the Balloon Girl in the 1974 production of Gypsy, starring Angela Lansbury. She went on to perform in the original production of Merriy We Roll Along as well as Smile, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and she spent a whopping 20 years in the Tony-winning revival of Chicago. After two decades of playing June (“He ran into my knife 10 times!”) in the ensemble and covering Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly and Mama Morton, Asbury will play her final performance in the hit musical on June 3. We asked this Broadway stalwart what it’s like to say goodbye to her home at Chicago after so many years with the company. Happy trails, Donna Marie!

How did you feel when you first got this job?
In shock! Happy, thankful and scared. I had never been a replacement before, so I had no idea what to expect. I actually started out on the tour in December of 1997 and then came to the Broadway company in March of 1999. Chicago has been a huge part of my life.

How do you feel now that you’re leaving?
So bittersweet, but what a ride I’ve had!

What are three words you would use to describe your experience?
Challenging, exhilarating, fulfilling.

What was the easiest thing about this job?
No costume changes! Think about it, when you do a show, usually you have multiple wig and costume changes. Your timing offstage becomes as important as your time on.

What was the hardest thing?
Balance, and I don’t mean the dancer kind. My daughter was three years old when I joined the Broadway company—she’s 23 now! This schedule can be challenging because you don’t get to go to bed at a “normal” hour. But if I didn’t get up with her in the morning, I would hardly see her. I remember when Chicago changed their performance schedule to Wednesdays off, I was thrilled because I could go to her home and school meetings. Thank God for my husband for being so incredibly supportive, even when he was working the same crazy show schedule.

What was the highlight of your time at this job?
So many, but I would have to say the tenth anniversary of the show. All of the stars came back. The original ensemble came back. It was electric. A magical night for sure.

What skills do you think are required for future job applicants?
Passion, commitment and a sense of humor!

What advice would you give to future employees in your job position?
Be forever grateful you are a part of this fantastic show. Honestly, when the show would start, and I’d hear 5,6,7,8…I would be so excited!

How do you think you’ve grown?
Wow, so much. I was 36 years old when I started the show, but in many ways I feel like I’ve grown up. I’ve never done a long run in a show, so you learn to never take anything for granted. This business can be so challenging you really work on not taking things personally. Sometimes decisions are made that you may not understand or agree with, but you show up and do the work.

Why are you leaving?
It’s time. Twenty years seemed like a really good number. I wanted to leave and still be proud of what I do.

What will you miss the most?
The laughter! Also the people I work with every night. The cast, musicians, crew, ushers… everyone. I’ll miss hearing about their day to day lives, and I’ll miss sharing mine. But we have a saying at Chicago, you never leave… so, who knows!