By JESSICA NEU
Ever since graduating from Peters Township High School, Pittsburgh native Nick Traficante has been making a name for himself in the musical theater world. After appearing in the national tour of Annie and regional productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, A Chorus Line, Mamma Mia!, and Sweet Charity, Traficante proudly returns home as part of the ensemble in the national touring company of Chicago. Before Roxy, Velma, Amos, and the rest of the cast ‘cell block tango’ their way into the Benedum Center, I had the chance to speak with Traficante about his history in musical theater as well as his time spent growing up in Pittsburgh.
As Chicago prepares to open on Tuesday, March 10th, Traficante expressed his gratitude and excitement for returning home. Some of his first theater memories as a child derived from his grandmother working as an usher at the Benedum Center. Speaking fondly of the Benedum Center, Traficante excitedly discussed how the space has “been such a huge, central point of my life and I have to pinch myself that I get to live out my dream of performing here and check something off of my bucket list that I have wanted to do for so long.”
As for Chicago as a whole, Traficante expressed his excitement for the audiences to “see the dancing and actually hear a live band. We are unique in that our show actually has a live band on stage instead of in the pit. They are on a big bandstand supporting us and I think it creates a really unique live experience because they get to improv with the music that they get to play and we kind of get to play off of them.” This uniqueness is sure to add a new live dimension to the traditional musical experience.
For anyone who has seen the show before, Traficante reassures that this tour will offer a fresh take on the classic musical. “I think that everyone here in this cast is just so fresh and so new, he stated. “The beautiful part about a long-running show is that it just inspires new generations of talent that didn’t necessarily grow up with the show when it first opened. Now, new cast members give the show such a fresh take. Also, all of the issues and themes that Chicago talks about are still so relevant in today’s society, and that is something that audience members can always come back to and experience them with new cast members that they have not seen before.”
Traficante elaborated on one of the show’s major themes – the ideological notions of being a celebrity and how the desire for fame motivates people. “I think that we still deal with the concept of the celebrity on our everyday lives, maybe even more so than when the show was created,” he stated. “It is wild seeing different social media stars, politicians and everyday people that we see online kind of blow up in this viral magnitude. Fame is so easy to get wrapped up in today’s culture and that theme of the show rings so true. Maybe even more true now than when Chicago first opened because anyone with a phone and social media can be famous nowadays. The show really highlights how the idea of fame is so addicting. When you get to that moment of fame, you want to cling onto that fame, money and notoriety so badly, despite the possibility that it could lead to your ultimate demise.”
Traficante also discussed what he hopes new first-time audience members will take away from Chicago. “I would love new audience members to recognize that there is something in all of us that causes to make imperfect decisions. These characters are not all innocent and the show plays with the line of good and evil. I hope that new audience members really appreciate that message that is delivered to the tune of vaudevillian jazz music. I also think that Amos is the most misunderstood character. He is Roxy’s husband and she takes him for granted when he’s actually a really sweet guy, but maybe people don’t pay attention to him much. I love Amos and the audience loves him and it’s really sweet seeing them fangirl over Amos…The show is super entertaining, but at the same time it makes you think a little more than you’d expect to when you first think of the musical, Chicago.”
Elaborating on some specificities of the show, Traficante stated, “I think that my favorite part of the show is “All That Jazz.” It is the first number in the show, and every time I step out there, we have everyone on stage together in formation and we all take a big deep breath together and we all let go and start the number and that process just gets me so fired up every night and locked into the moment and it’s just such an iconic song. Everyone cheers when Velma enters at the top of the stage, it is electric. I love it!”
The preparation and production of Chicago are a bit different from Traficante’s previous tours. Speaking about some of the nuances that make his time in Chicago unique, Traficante explained that “this show is different from a technical perspective because I only wear one costume throughout the whole show. I never have to worry about quick changes or anything of the sort. It leads to a relaxed atmosphere backstage because most of the cast is not worried about costume or wig changes. That experience has been very different from my other tours. On Annie, I worked with kids and dogs, which is such a stark contrast to the general vibe of this company. The people that I’m with really make this experience special, especially since we are traveling and working together every day. I am so grateful that I love the people that I work with.
Regarding learning the iconic Fosse choreography, Traficante noted, “I had not studied Fosse before. I had done a little lecture on him in my dance classes for maybe a week in college…but our wonderful choreographer Gregory Butler drilled the Fosse-isms into our heads for this show. There is just so much weight and responsibility that comes with this specific choreography and I definitely felt that in rehearsals. I felt the importance of carrying on the legacy and doing right by Anne Ranking who choreographed this iteration of Chicago. It is also a challenge because this show is currently on Broadway. When I was in Annie, that show was not on Broadway at the time, so the choreography came from an original creator’s mind. With Chicago, the choreography stems from a 30-year-long history with the show. There is definitely an extra presence of Bob Fosse and Anne Ranking in the room, guiding me and willing the steps into my body.”
Traficant reflected fondly on his early theater roots. “I went to Peters Township High School and started taking voice lessons when I was 13,” he explained. “My older brother started doing musicals before I did, so of course I had to latch on and do whatever he was doing. I took a few lessons at the CLO Academy, but mostly it was voice lessons, opportunities at my high school and my mother who was just so supportive and did anything she could to make sure that this dream happened, so I am always appreciative of her.”
Traficante urged all the aspiring theater kids out there to “always make sure that you are performing because you love it and not out of any obligation or simply because you are good at something. You want to really concentrate and home in on the reasons why you want to be on stage and why you want to perform. Those reasons will be the guiding light throughout the tough times in your career because it will certainly not be a linear journey. Throughout the years, I’ve found that simply being good at something does not always give you the motivation that you need to keep working harder. You have to find your light and your reason why you want to perform and home in on that.“
As for Traficante’s reason why, he explained, “I just love disappearing into a different era. I feel like every time I put on my costume, I am transporting back into a different time period and a different zone. I feel very safe in that zone – it is my safe space. I have to perform!”
However, balancing the demand of being a “triple threat” can be very challenging. “It is one thing to be in high school and perform at that level and still have your parents supporting you,” Traficante continued. “Then it’s another to go to college and have everything scheduled out for you, but then you enter real life and have to learn how to budget for the voice lessons and budget for the dance classes because at the end of the day you want to be the most marketable version of yourself and the only way to do that is to manage your talents and to keep honing them. I am realizing that I am so lucky that I get to keep learning – my theater education didn’t stop at high school or college. There is always another trick to learn, or another person that you can learn from, and I feel like that is particular to this industry. I’m so grateful that I get to keep doing this every day. Theater can morph and be a part of your life in so many ways.”
Chicago may be a slinky, vibrant show with commentary on the pitfalls of fame, but Traficante is bringing nothing but joy and gratitude to his performance. “Shout out to all of my theater teachers from Peters and anyone in the Pittsburgh area who played a part in me getting here. All of it is not lost me and I am just so grateful to be performing in Pittsburgh and I’m just excited to get there.”
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series presentation of Chicago the Musical is at the Benedum Center, March 10 to 15, 2026. For tickets visit: https://trustarts.org/production/100797/list_performances
Categories: Arts and Ideas
That’s fantastic to see a local talent like Nick Traficante making waves on the national tour of *Chicago*! It’s always inspiring when performers bring that hometown connection to such iconic roles. I wonder what specific element of the *Chicago* production he finds most challenging or rewarding compared to his previous regional shows?