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‘Chicago is my favorite city’: Broadway star Kathy Voytko returns to second home for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ role

After seeing “Les Misérables” on tour in high school, Kathy Voytko was utterly captivated. She turned to her mom and said, “I think I want to do that.”

Now, Voytko is a Broadway star.

She has fond memories performing in “Phantom of the Opera” and “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” Her Chicago credits include “Passion” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, “Les Misérables” at Marriott Theatre and “Putting It Together” at Court Theatre.

Voytko is back in Chicago, which she considers her second home, for the iconic role of Mrs. Potts in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”

“Chicago is my favorite city,” she said. “The fact that I’m getting to do a beautiful show in Chicago and get paid to be there is just icing.”

Voytko has received two Joseph Jefferson Awards for her performances as Polly in “Crazy for You” at Drury Lane Theatre and as Francesca in “The Bridges of Madison County” at Marriott Theatre.

Nick Bowling, who directed “The Bridges of Madison County,” knew Voytko was right for the role seconds into the audition.

“Kathy has an ability to find the unexpected,” he said. “She’s this great package of singer-actor with such talent, but then the unexpected is she’s able to find humor and turns and twists in her work.”

Bowling said Voytko is a dream to work with. He described her as funny, goofy, easygoing and down-to-earth.

“She’s brilliantly talented as an actor,” he said. “She has one of the most beautiful singing voices that you’ll ever hear.”

Holly Ann Butler, left, Cameron Monroe Thomas, Kathy Voytko, Danny Gardner, Javier Ignacio, Matt West and David Andrews Rogers (piano) rehearse for Broadway in Chicago's “Beauty and the Beast.” Courtesy of Matthew Murphy

After growing up as a dancer in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and attending Shenandoah Conservatory, Voytko got her acting start in Chicago.

“The process still fascinates me 30 years later,” she said. “I love the tech process with the orchestra, the lights, the costumes, the sound — I love when we all come together. It’s an interesting way to tell a story through music theater.”

Her most recent Broadway performance was in “The Music Man,” starring as Marian Paroo, alongside Hugh Jackman. The world was just opening back up after the pandemic when the leading lady, Sutton Foster, tested positive for COVID-19.

Voytko — Foster’s understudy — had only hours notice. An emergency rehearsal was scheduled and, that night, she was on. After the show, Jackman paid tribute to Voytko, referring to understudies as “the bedrock of Broadway.”

“That happens on Broadway and regional theaters all the time,” Voytko said. “I’m so grateful that Hugh gave a shout out to all the understudies, swings and standbys.”

Bowling said Voytko took over the role and was incredible.

“She led this notion of ‘wonder study’ that gave a kind of voice and a face to understudies across the country,” he said.

Voytko currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters and two dogs. When she’s not acting, she enjoys being outside and seeing other shows.

“I love being transported in a theater, whether it’s a play, a musical, a symphony,” she said. “I am a big fan of the arts, and I try to support them whenever I can.”

Her favorite show is always the one she is working on, which is currently “Beauty and the Beast.” This enchanting and timeless Broadway musical is the first North American production of the musical presented by Disney in over 25 years. It will run at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre from Wednesday, July 9, through Aug. 2.

Voytko vividly remembers seeing the animated film in the theater. When she got the offer to be Mrs. Potts, she was thrilled.

“Leaving home is never easy because I wildly love my family, but I also just couldn’t wait for this opportunity,” she said.

Bringing the teapot to life has posed a challenge for Voytko: not being able to use her left arm.

“That’s been an interesting challenge, but also a fun challenge because I can tell a story without using that arm,” she said. “It just takes a little bit of rewiring.”

She especially enjoys singing the lullaby and title song, “Beauty and the Beast.”

“Watching your kids grow and learn and thrive is something I relate to,” she said. “Mrs. Potts is mom to Chip, but she’s also kind of a surrogate mom to the Beast.”

There will be some variations to keep the show exciting, including fresh scenes and reorchestrated dance numbers. She hopes audiences will have the chance to escape into a fairy tale for two hours.

“I know that the lyric is ‘a tale as old as time,’ but it is a story that is fun no matter how old you are,” Voytko said. “What I take away from the show is that you can make terrible, awful mistakes in your life, but when you correct them and when you decide to change, there is nothing that is insurmountable.”

• • •

“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”

Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago

Showtimes: Various times and dates now through Aug. 2

Tickets: Start at $57 at broadwayinchicago.com/shows/beauty25/

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