She's back! Bianca Marroquín will return to Broadway's Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre, playing Roxie Hart for a limited run beginning November 25. Marroquín will succeed current star Alyssa Milano, who plays her final performance November 10.
Hailing from Mexico City, Marroquín is part of a short list of actors to have played both Roxie and Velma in the long-running Kander and Ebb musical, debuting her Velma as part of the revival's post-COVID re-opening cast in 2021. When she joined the company for the first time as Roxie in 2006, Marroquín became the first Mexican woman to play a leading role on Broadway and over the years, Marroquín has periodically stepped into the role of both Roxie and Velma.
READ: Chicago's Robyn Hurder and Bianca Marroquín Compare Notes on Playing Roxie and Velma
Along with Milano, the current cast includes Kimberly Marable as Velma Kelly, Max von Essen as Billy Flynn, Natasha Yvette Williams as Matron “Mama” Morton, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart, and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine, along with David Bushman, Jennnifer Dunne, Jeff Gorti, Jaquez, Arian Keddell, Mary Claire King, Marty Lawson, Joseph London, Barrett Martin, Sharon Moore, Drew Nellessen, Celina Nightengale, Kristen Faith Oei, Denny Paschall, Jermaine R. Rembert, Mikayla Renfrow, Rachel Schur, and Michael Scirrotto.
The revival of Chicago began life as one of the three annual Encores! presentations offered by City Center. The musical opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in November 14, 1996, where it remained through February 1997. The musical transferred to the Shubert Theatre, and played that house through January 26, 2003. The revival reopened at the Ambassador Theatre January 29 that year.
Since its debut in 1996, Chicago has been seen by more than 34 million people and played over 33,500 performances worldwide in 38 countries and in more than 525 cities. It is now the second-longest running show in Broadway history (after the recently closed The Phantom of the Opera).
READ: How the Chicago Costumes Have Evolved Over 25 Years
With a book by the late Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Ebb, Chicago features direction by Walter Bobbie, choreography by the late Ann Reinking, set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer, and casting by Duncan Stewart of ARC Casting.
The current production, produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for actors Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Bobbie, lighting designer Billington, and Reinking. The original production was directed and choreographed by the late Fosse.
