Star turn Bianca Marroquin shows moxie as Roxie in Chicago BY BILL RODRIGUEZ

They don’t make Roxie Harts anymore, though TV and the tabloids sure as hell try. The flamboyant character from the musical Chicago, who wouldn’t take "whoa!" for an answer when her man done her wrong, is coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center for a brief run, from April 1 through 3.

The multi-Tony-winning musical has razzle-dazzle choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a book co-authored by Fosse. Set in 1929, a rivalry unfolds between Roxie and another death row murderess, Velma Kelly. Whoever gains public sympathy as a celebrity killer, with the help of press-savvy lawyer Billy Flynn, can escape the electric chair.

But Roxie may not have the most dramatic story here — that distinction arguably goes to the young woman who plays Roxie, Bianca Marroquin, and her meteoric rise. Growing up just across the border from Brownsville, Texas, she went to school on the American side. At 25, in 2001 Marroquin was the youngest Roxie ever on Broadway — and the first Mexican actress to play a lead there. Her wowing Mexico City audiences in the role had impressed the producers. It was her first lead after years in musical bit parts and as stand-by or swing, prepared to step in for other actors.

And such rave reviews. In the Denver Post: "Zellweger was an adorable Roxie Hart, but Marroquin is the total package." The Hollywood Reporter: "But the star of the show — even more so this year than last when she played the same role — is Bianca Marroquin." More than one reviewer has described her as "a young Shirley MacLaine."

Marroquin spoke from Jacksonville, Florida, on the road with the touring company of Chicago.

Q: A successful actor has to be pushy, especially in something as competitive as musicals. To what extent do you see your own personality in Roxie?

A: Oh, I have a lot of similarities with Roxie. It’s funny. Except, I would never cheat on my husband and I would never shoot anybody — well, never say never! We’re all crazy, aren’t we?

I had no experiences of my own to give Roxie, when the time came. I got married very young. I never really had many boyfriends. I hadn’t lived and I hadn’t traveled. But the similarities were that I was new to the business, as far as being a leading lady — so I compared that to jail! Roxie is in jail. All these women tell their stories, all these characters she’s meeting, and she’s like a little sponge, collecting information from everybody. That’s how I found myself — all of these women in the ensemble, I was the youngest one, and they had all been leading ladies at some point in other shows.

Q: Does Chicago have a scene that came particularly easily to you when you were first learning the ropes in the Mexico City production?

A: I guess the comedy part came easy to me. Like the gun number — because there’s no talking. All the physical things came a little easy to me. The acting in the beginning was a little difficult, to bring out all the colors that needed to be there, until my director really pushed me. There’s this big monologue, where I go one-to-one with the audience. Finally, I decided to just be myself one day, in rehearsals, and he goes: "Yes!" And I go: "Awwwww! You should have told me from the start!" I was under all this pressure. I was the youngest one: "How do I become an actress?" I was just pretending to act and speak in a certain way, and it was all false, it was a bunch of baloney, until: "Ohhhhh!"

Q: You hadn’t taken acting lessons before, and they didn’t provide them?

A: No. I just auditioned for it. I did the monologue as best as I could, and they said: "She’s Roxie." Which was really weird, because all these women that were in the audition were older than me, and they were all just talking amongst themselves: "You’re going to get it," "No, you’re going to get it!" And they never paid attention to the little girl with pigtails that was in the corner!

When they call me finally, two days after, and the producer tells me the news that I’m Roxie, I couldn’t believe that I was going to be responsible for only one character! I had always been a swing, being responsible for 20 characters. "That’s all I have to worry about — Roxie? Wow!"

Q: You were the first Mexican actress to get to Broadway not in the chorus but in a leading role. How special has that been to you and to others, from what they tell you?

A: It’s a big deal for my country. I had no clue. During my sixth month they invited me to Broadway, so I learned the part in English in two weeks. The next day [after opening night] when I’m reading the press back home, that’s when I found out. I had no clue of the magnitude of the situation. Oh, my god. Forty years before, this other man, Manolo Fabregas, had done that with The King and I, but since then nobody had followed in his footsteps.

I take it very seriously. I take it like I’m an ambassador here, not only for my country but for the whole Latin community.

Chicago will be at the Providence Performing Arts Center April 1 through 3. Call (401) 421-ARTS.