Rob Wells landed the coveted male lead role of smooth-operating lawyer Billy Flynn despite originally aiming to be part of the ensemble.
The director and producers of Chicago spotted the qualities they were looking for in the 22-year-old drama graduate who arrived in Queenstown to spend time with friends just five months ago.
''There's a lot of talent in town and a lot of great guys who are, luckily, still in the show,'' Mr Wells said.
''Billy knows what he wants and knows how to get it and he's quite creative about that. He's ambitious and I can relate to him on his creativity and ambitious side.''
Mr Wells was no stranger to the role or the world of vaudeville, jazz and tabloid-hyped crime. He played Billy in an abridged youth version of Chicago when he was a 12-year-old.
A decade on, his youth will help his interpretation of Billy stand out from the crowd, he said.
''I'm not Richard Gere. [Being younger] makes him come across as cocky, rather than confident.
''I'm doing it how I read into the script and Bryan [Aitken, director] will say, 'That's good', or not.
''It's quite collaborative, but when he says 'No', it's a 'No'.''
The acting bug never left Mr Wells as a child and he went on to become not only the ''triple threat'' of actor, singer and dancer the Showbiz Queenstown production demanded, but also producer, director and production designer while he studied drama at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK.
He became president of the institution's theatre arts society and, with a new committee, rededicated the society to performing popular plays and musical theatre, to financial and award success.
Gaining experience in New Zealand theatre was the other reason he travelled after graduation last year.
''I can't imagine doing anything else. Acting is always exciting and challenging and every day's different.''
