Donna Marie Asbury Makes the Guinness Book of World Records for Her Time in Chicago

Exactly one year following her exit from the Tony-winning revival of Chicago, Donna Marie Asbury received some "whoopee"-worthy news. According to a post she shared on Instagram, Asbury has been entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for having had the longest career playing the same character in a Broadway show. For 20 years, Asbury played the role of June (“He ran into my knife 10 times!”) and also covered Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly and Mama Morton.

"I couldn't have imagined a better exit when I left the show," she told Broadway.com. "We started the [Guinness] submission process in July of 2019. They have to be very thorough. Walter Bobbie and Barry Weissler sent letters! This June 3 was a bittersweet day for me anyway with everything going on in the world. I was like, 'I don't know if I have the right to feel any happiness right now.' But at 7:30 in the morning, my husband said, 'Check your email!' I went between giggling and tearing up. It's a neat thing."

In addition to her record-breaking run in Chicago, Asbury's Broadway credits also include the 1974 production of Gypsy, starring Angela Lansbury, Merrily We Roll Along, Smile and Jerome Robbins' Broadway.

Though Broadway performances are suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ambassador Theatre is the home of Chicago. The revival opened on November 14, 1996 and is the second longest-running Broadway show of all time.

Watch Asbury reveal Five Secrets about the Chicago below!