For her 10th Broadway musical, Megan Sikora is giving an absolutely scene-stealing performance as aspiring Hollywood starlet Lila Dixon in RTC’s new smash Holiday Inn
. Whether she’s partner dancing with Corbin Bleu or breaking the heart of Bryce Pinkham, you can’t take your eyes off her (sure, the stunning Alejo Vietti costumes help). It’s the perfect showcase for Sikora’s incredible dance skill and classic comic timing.BroadwayBox caught up with Sikora to find out how she went about creating one of the fall season’s most memorable featured characters.
This is interesting. This is my 10th Broadway show, and I have been doing a sort of version of this kind of character for most of my career—the showgirl from the ‘20s-‘40s—so I always have a general version of her in me. For example, I originated Lorraine in 42nd Street revival, Ruth in Millie, and, of course, Bambi in Curtains. They are all chorus girls trying to make it, and they’re New York based so there’s always an accent. So I would say the root of her is within me. The real foundation of Lila is my experience being a chorus girl on Broadway.
Photo by Joan Marcus, Carol Rosegg, Paul Klonik
Then what Gordon Greenberg helped me find with Lila is that something I hadn’t found with any of my previous versions of this character I’ve done—true heart and vulnerability. I have the opportunity in the break up scene to show that in a character like this, which is very rare. I get to be this striving chorine, but I also get to show that she really loves somebody but she’s choosing her career over love. I’m insanely grateful for it.
Then me, Megan Sikora, I draw from characters like Ginger Rogers. Her sparkle and sass and strength. I feel like people try to play her as an ingénue or someone much softer than she was; but when you go back and look at her, she is toe-to-toe with Fred Astaire. She had so much strength that a lot of women in that time didn’t have, and I relate to that a lot.
Finally, Lucille Ball with her comic timing. What I love about Lucille Ball was that she was not afraid to make a fool of herself. She wasn’t afraid to be a mess and fall on her face. Whatever it takes. I respect that. So, those two women plus my own personal experience would be the building blocks of how I found Lila.
Get yourself over to Studio 54 to see Megan Sikora slay the house down as Lila Dixon in Holiday Inn.
