Spotlight on 'Chicago' with Bianca Marroquín

As part of a series showcasing long-running Broadway shows, we speak to a performer who's been involved with the record-breaking musical for more than 20 years.

Summary

• Longtime Chicago cast member Bianca Marroquín speaks to the Broadway musical's lasting relevance and appeal for audiences
• Chicago has played at the Ambassador Theatre since 1996 and is the longest-running show currently on Broadway
• Marroquín stars as Velma Kelly and has also played fellow leading lady Roxie Hart

Razzle dazzle is timeless, and Chicago on Broadway proves that. The original 1975 production ran for two years, but the 1996 revival has made the musical a de facto NYC landmark: It's the longest-running show currently playing on Broadway and the second-longest-running in all of Broadway history.

And it's not just the show that's had such longevity; its cast has, too. In addition to a revolving door of celebrities who play short stints at the Ambassador Theatre, there are plenty of Chicago veterans who have been with the musical for years and even decades. Take Bianca Marroquín, who made her Broadway debut in Chicago in 2002 and has regularly come in and out of the show ever since. Now, she has over 4,000 performances under her belt.

Marroquín is also unique in that she's played both leading ladies: Roxie Hart, the housewife and wannabe vaudeville star who murders her lover, and Velma Kelly (her current role), an established vaudevillian and Roxie's fellow inmate at Chicago's Cook County Jail. The ladies know the only way to get acquitted is to win public sympathy, and they compete for the attention of a clever lawyer and the popular press to get it.

Chicago may take place in the 1920s, but as Marroquín attests, the notion of celebrity criminals hasn't aged a day. That Roxie and Velma's story is set to earworms like "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango" has only helped Chicago endure. Below, Marroquín speaks to her own experience of the musical and why it's still killer after all this time. Spoilers follow!

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Why do you think this show has lasted so long on Broadway?

I think Chicago is always relevant because we see criminals being sensationalized by the media all the time. It’s a hard truth told in black humor with iconic choreography, brilliant music, and [a] genius script. Its minimalist style is still unique today.

What is the best audience reaction you have seen to the show?

I love the audience's reaction when Roxie announces she’s going to have a baby or when Mary Sunshine is revealed as a man. I love seeing how invested the audience is in the story.

What is your favorite moment in the show?

My favorite moment in the show must be when Roxie and Velma join forces in the end and appear together in "Nowadays." You see them as rivals during the entire show, so it’s kind of exciting to see them together.

What is a little-known secret about performing in the show?

The audience doesn’t get to see how we engage with each other backstage during the performance. I’d say it’s a completely different show back there. We have a lot of fun together. We’re cracking jokes and trying to lift each other up. Or maybe it’s a challenging day and someone is trying to get through a show while being injured or going though a tough emotional and personal problem. We are a family.

What do you hope audiences take away from the show?

I hope the audiences are able to disconnect from their daily lives and allow us to entertain them and wow them for those 2 and a half hours. I hope that we are able to lift their spirits and allow them to vibrate in another frequency that heals with our music, humor, dancing, and extraordinary talent on stage.

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Photo credit: Bianca Marroquín and the cast of Chicago on Broadway. (Photo courtesy of production)