Gotham FC forward Midge Purce is set to deliver the opening monologue for Broadway's Chicago in a collaboration between Gotham and the Tony Award-winning show to highlight the club's Broadway Night Game.
Purce will make her Broadway debut alongside supermodel Ashley Graham, who will be playing Roxie Hart, and Broadway star Sophie Carmen-Jones, at 7pm ET on May 1. After the show, Purce will take part in a Q&A with audience members.
“It’s an incredible honor to step onto the Broadway stage in Chicago,” said Purce in a press release from Gotham FC. “I’ve always poured my heart into everything I do, and this is no different. Performing in a show with such legacy and power is something I take seriously—and I couldn’t be more excited to embrace this challenge and celebrate the magic of live performance.”
Gotham FC’s soccer player & U.S. Women's National Team player Midge Purce will deliver Chicago’s opening monologue for one performance only! https://t.co/TP9iLd3jhw
— BroadwayWorld (@BroadwayWorld) April 25, 2025
This is the first time Gotham will host Broadway Night, a themed game commemorating the infamous New York City theater scene at Sports Illustrated Stadium on May 16. Honor Blue Joy from Off-Broadway's Joy will sing the national anthem, and the match will feature halftime entertainment from Broadway, as well as fireworks at the end of the game.
Purce, who joined Gotham in 2020, is just as active off the field as she is on it. In 2023, Forbes named her to their "30 under 30" list for her influence in sports. That year, she led the club to its first NWSL championship and earned MVP during the title game. Her advocacy for girls and women in sports led her to fight for equal pay for the U.S. Women's National Team, which helped the team close a milestone collective bargaining agreement in 2022.
Purce also co-founded the Black Women's Players Collective, a nonprofit created by black players in the NWSL to promote opportunities for and uplift black girls in sports. She serves on her alma mater Harvard University's distinguished Board of Overseers, a group of alumni who work to keep the university true to its prerogative as an educational institution.
Her debut on Broadway won't be the first time she delved into entertainment and television. Purce has been on CBS as a guest commentator providing insights on NWSL games. In one of her bigger entertainment ventures, she created a reality docuseries called The Offseason that followed NWSL players between seasons. The show was a success, drawing over 2.5 million views for the first episode's release on X.
