Who Plays Vivian In 'City Of Girls' Stage Adaptation?

I’ve been obsessed with 'City of Girls' since I first read it, and the stage adaptation was a dream come true. Vivian’s character is this vibrant, messy, and utterly human woman who stumbles through life with equal parts audacity and vulnerability. When I heard about the play, I dug into every casting announcement like a detective. The role of Vivian went to Phillipa Soo, and let me tell, it was perfection. Phillipa has this magnetic presence that captures Vivian’s charm—the way she can flip from reckless hedonism to quiet introspection in a heartbeat. Her performance made Vivian feel alive in a way that even the book’s pages couldn’t fully capture.

What’s fascinating is how Phillipa leaned into Vivian’s contradictions. She didn’t just play her as a free-spirited flapper; she showed the weariness underneath the glitter, the moments when Vivian’s bravado cracks. The scene where Vivian confronts her mistakes in Act 2? Phillipa delivered it with this raw, trembling honesty that had the entire audience holding their breath. And her chemistry with the cast—especially the actor playing Celia—was electric. You could believe they’d been friends for decades, with all the shared history and unspoken tensions that come with it. The adaptation tweaked some of Vivian’s sharper edges, but Phillipa made sure she never felt sanitized. That signature blend of selfishness and warmth? Still there, just polished for the stage.

Fun fact: Phillipa actually studied vintage footage of 1940s showgirls to nail Vivian’s physicality—the way she smoked, the lazy sway of her hips, even how she adjusted her stockings mid-conversation. It’s those tiny details that made her performance so immersive. And her singing voice? Stunning. The play added a few original musical numbers, and Phillipa’s solo in the second act became this haunting lament about wasted youth. I’ve seen a lot of theater, but her Vivian is one of those roles that lingers in your mind long after the curtain falls. If you ever get a chance to watch a recording of the production, don’t miss it. Phillipa didn’t just play Vivian; she resurrected her.