Only a few performers have played both leading roles in Broadway’s "Chicago," and Bianca Marroquin also found herself the first Mexican actress to star in the show. The actor and dancer joined Cheddar News to talk about her current role as Velma Kelly after playing Roxie Hart for 20 years on stage. "I’ve grown up! I finally have to grow up and be that Velma that I so admired all the time because they are so different," she said.

Between Bells

Bianca Marroquin on Being One of Few to Play Both Roxy and Velma in 'Chicago'

Welcome back to Between Bells, everyone. Our next guest has all that jazz. Yes, we're talking about Bianca Marroquin who's starring as Roxie Hart in the Tony, award winning play Chicago if you haven't seen it, what have you been doing? The show always said in prohibition times in Chicago and is a satire of the corruption found in the criminal justice system and the concept of celebrity criminals Joining us now is Bianca Marroquin herself. Star Broadway Chicago. Welcome, welcome to the show, we're so excited to have you Bianca, you've been in this play high, you've been in this play on and off for 20 years earlier this summer. You came back for the iconic role of Roxie Hart. How is it different this time around? Oh my goodness! Well, first of all, it's the biggest blessing, one of the biggest blessings of my life, It never gets old because everything changes from one day to the next. If it's the weather, if it's what's happening in the news, if it's you if it's the audience, it's always a different audience every single night, so it's a different experience. Um of course, after pandemic, everybody, I think coming back into the world, we've changed. We were forced to change. Imagine facing all this uncertainty and all the stress and everything that everybody went through. So we were so grateful. We were so excited to come back. I remember those first shows with the audience, it was just very hard not to cry right before my my my entrance. What was different about this time, Was that the last 20 years I've been playing Roxie Hart in and off, You know, on and off. But this time they asked me to come back as velma kelly. So it was a delicious challenge. I took it and that's why it was, it was more special and it was history for me. No, not just for you, that is history making. That is a very, very short list of legendary women. That's incredible. Bianca I'm absolutely blown away by you. What was it? What does it feel like to be included in such an iconic list where you are playing two incredible characters on broadway who are so different. Yes. You know, just to hear you say that I start to get emotional, it's such a privilege. It's such a gift as an actor, as a dancer. Um to imagine God goes here, here's this role Roxie Hart back 20 years ago, grow with it mature with it explore. Uh and and keep finding things. So every time that I step away from the show and every time that I come back, there's always something new that I have to offer Roxie. Um so imagine sitting there as Roxy always watching velma always feeling like um admiring and looking up to my velma's the actresses who have played velma along the years and imagine and I had a moment the very first time when I put on the dress of velma and with my dresser cleo that were there in the mirror and I started crying because in a way I felt like I've grown up, I finally have like really grow up and be that velma that I so admired all the time because they're very different. Roxy's more playful and more naive and a little more all over the place and so hungry for the fame and everything and uh and an explosive and in the moment and velma is actually very precise and organized and disciplined and mature and it's a very, very different character that oh my God, I have to bring so much power to this woman and she opens the show and that elevator and it's like people are expecting the, you know what I mean? Well they're so different and the choreography is so different too. So how do you strategize for both roles? Yes, so velma requires so much focus. Oh my God, because all the training that you have had since you were three velma requires it. Her numbers are so shot out of a cannon and you have to be so precise, especially like for instance, film takes a stand with the chair. So if you uh, if you are not concentrating or get distracted, even just for a little moment, you might kill yourself. You might. So it's all very, very, very precise, which I love, I love. Um but but then it, it's a little more stressful and a little more serious Roxy. It's so in the moment they allow us to bring of ourselves into the character, her goofiness and her funkiness and and everything is happening to her in a moment. Like for instance, the monologue, you break the fourth wall and you're talking to the audience right there and you get to share all of this and keep them in the palm of your hand for the entire number, which is hard because it's a long number. So it's, it's kind of tricky that way. Roxie goes through all the emotions there are in the two hours and a half and which is delicious by the way for any actress, it's such an arc, it's such and, and, and velma is a little more athletic in in in the sense and you get to show all that technique and all that. You know, I love them both and I've got a Roxy one day in velma the next. So that's incredible. You know, you have so many milestones in your career, I do have to bring this out and then bring this up and you're so humble, but this is just so inspirational to so many women of color because you made history as the first Mexican woman to star in a leading role in broadway that almost brings me to tears because that's a very impossible thing to accomplish. Congratulations to you. How do you keep yourself grounded and so confident in these roles and when you know, so many people are looking up to you. Thank you and I'm very, very conscious of that. I keep reminding myself that it's not just about me, it's about my country, not just about Mexico but about all the spanish speaking countries and then not just about all my minorities, you know what I mean, and how hard it is to get there and maintain yourself there. Um my mother was such a grounded person, I think that one of the things I learned from her is always keep humble and always keep your feet on the ground and never forget where you come from and what it's cost you what, what, how hard you have worked and everything, all the effort that you have put into your work into your journey to get to where you are and every at the top of the show, every single time I I say a little prayer and I remind myself of that Bianca, your authenticity just bounces off the screen. You are incredible. I've seen Chicago, I haven't seen you, I'm going to get tickets today, You are incredible, such an inspiration, thank you so much for coming on. Bianca Marroquin star of broadway's Chicago and icon. Thank you