Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

#1

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/13/13 at 11:22pm

Several years ago, Bebe Neuwirth, the original Velma of the Chicago revival, returned to the show as Roxie. I wanted to see the show, but couldn't because that just happened to be my semester abroad. So, I was just really curious...who was Bebe's Velma??

#2

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/13/13 at 11:24pm

Brenda Braxton

#3

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/13/13 at 11:27pm

Thanks!! I was so curious, but just couldn't find it. Gosh, I feel so much better now!!

#4

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/13/13 at 11:34pm

:)

#5

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 8:48am

Did anyone see this?? How was Bebe in the role?

#6

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 9:48am

She was generally well-reviewed, I seem to remember, but she and Braxton were both walking through it the night I went.

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"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

#7

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 9:56am

^ Yes. Unfortunately, this was (oddly) one of the laziest pairings I saw in the show. Neither of them seemed to really be giving much energy towards their performances or chemistry.

#8

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 10:24am

Braxton spent years walking through that show.

#9

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 10:43am

I remember seeing Brenda and Bebe in Chicago when I was younger (maybe 11?) and I absolutely loved it. Maybe I was just easy to please though, heh

#10

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 11:15am

"Braxton spent years walking through that show."

How often did you see her? I thought she was one of the best Velmas I have ever seen but I only saw her once so maybe I just got a great night.

#11

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 11:43am

I really enjoyed the Neuwirth/Braxton pairing, but it was also the second or third show I'd ever seen on Broadway and may have just still been a little enamored with the whole experience.

I remember walking out thinking that Braxton really ended up being the stronger of the two performers that night, if it gives you any indication of how Neuwirth's performance held up.

#12

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 12:43pm

A friend of mine actually saw Bebe as Roxie (and still couldn't remember who played Velma), she said that she was fairly good (not as good as when she was playing Velma, but better than many Roxies she had seen). She especially loved the way she danced and told me how she couldn't even tell that Bebe had a hip replacement. My friend is probably biased, but given that Bebe can sing and dance, I imagine that she would have been okay as Roxie. Maybe she could use a bit more warmth, but I still would have killed to see her as Roxie.

Updated On: 7/14/13 at 12:43 PM

#13

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 12:47pm

I saw Brenda a few times, but I enjoyed her most around 2004, when she was still fresh and new in the role. It was a great performance.

#14

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 1:39pm

I saw Brenda more than a few times, and never found her performance lacking. I'm sure over a long run, it was never always top-notch, but I'd be hard pressed to find someone who had never seen the show to find her performance nothing less than great.

I did Brenda and Bebe together, and at least the night I saw it they looked to be having a blast, cracking up each and the audience.

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"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

#15

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 2:23pm

Neuwirth & Braxton were a fine pairing but, it was all about Bebe (whose Roxie was calculating, fun, striking, and quite vulnerable. Not a perfect fit between actress and role but, excellent nonetheless.)

I saw Braxton multiple times; this particular performance was one of her better ones, as she was rather mechanical and safe throughout her many stints. Of the longer-running Velmas, I would've preferred Terra MacLeod opposite Bebe but, I'm told it was the latter's choice as to who she wanted as her Velma.

#16

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/14/13 at 2:27pm

I really regret missing Bebe's Roxie stint. I wish she would do it again.

And Braxton was never as boring and mechanical as Amra-Faye Wright, another long-running Velma. It's time to retire her as Velma.

#17

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/16/13 at 5:56pm

Brenda Braxton has played Velma Kelly more than actress for a reason. She is one of the best. As is Deirdre Goodwin and of course Bebe. I wasn't around for Chita but i figure she was excellent

#18

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/16/13 at 8:59pm

I think that the Weisslers should give this lady due consideration for "Velma" on Broadway. She's a West End Velma veteran. This clip is from 2010. She is fantastic!!
Anna Jane Casey

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"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)

#19

Who played opposite Bebe when she returned as Roxie?

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:07pm

Here's another clip of Anna Jane Casey singing and dancing to "Dance Your Troubles Away" from "Mack and Mabel." She is just fabulous!
Anna Jane Casey 2

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"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)