Lissa deGuzman Brings Fresh Energy to Chicago’s Legendary Line of Velma Kellys

Right before Lissa deGuzman exits through the stage door of the Ambassador Theatre, she passes a wall that lists every actor who’s played a principal role in the Broadway cast of Chicago since the legendary musical opened in 1975. Her eye always catches the names under the Velma Kelly column. “It is such an extensive, amazing and iconic list of these incredible women,” says the actress. “I used to be obsessed with Chita Rivera and Bebe Neuwirth!”

Most exciting of all, that list just grew by one. She recently stepped into the high heels of the slinky murderess, which means she gets to belt out the dazzling opening number “All That Jazz,” plead innocent in the “Cell Block Tango” and dance the “Hot Honey Rag” with Roxie Hart (Reece Weaver). For deGuzman—who recently became the first Filipina to portray Elphaba in the national tour of Wicked—the opportunity to do all of the above is more exciting than she ever anticipated. “Throughout the rehearsal process, I was having such tunnel vision and focus,” she says. “Now that I'm in the show, I'm starting to see what it actually is. And it's just so much fun.”

Less than a week into her run, deGuzman hopped on the phone with Broadway.com.

How’s your Chicago run going so far? Want to give yourself a review?
Ha! It’s going great. It’s such a whirlwind, but I’m feeling more and more settled in the show and in the role. And honestly, as I get more settled, I get even more excited. I was working so hard in rehearsals. Now I get to relax into it, and I'm like, this is incredible!

What did you not realize about doing the show before you started it?
Well, when I was in Wicked and doing Elphaba, I essentially never left the stage. But as Velma, it’s very different. I do a huge, aerobic number all by myself, and it’s very vulnerable. But then I have a big break backstage, and I find myself not knowing what to do. So I get to, like, actually socialize with the cast and have a life backstage.

Was Velma a role you had been eyeing for a while?
Yes! I grew up with the [2002] movie—it’s one of the best musical movies ever—and I was obsessed with Catherine Zeta-Jones. So the show itself was always on my radar, specifically Velma. But the role was something I would have to age into, so I always just kept tabs on it and was hoping for it. Then about a year and a half ago, I did a self-tape and sent it in. I sang “All That Jazz,” and I believe I did the monologue from “Cell Block Tango” and a scene with Mama Morton. Then I was called to do a work session [with the team], where I did all the material from that self-tape and a few more things. Many, many, many months after that, I got the call that I’d be joining the show in August.

How did you celebrate the big news?
I walked out of my room just in complete shock. I said to my roommate—she’s the one who helped me with the self-tape—“I'm gonna be in Chicago!” We both screamed and jumped up and down. Then I called my brother [Mathew deGuzman], who’s in Aladdin on Broadway. He freaked out because he understands how much I wanted it and how big of a deal it is. It honestly took me a while to really realize what was happening. Obviously I was able to say the news out loud, but my body and my soul didn't quite understand what was happening until a few weeks later when I got the script and the score and started memorizing and saying the lines out loud. Then I fully realized that I get to be Velma Kelly and live out this dream of playing a role that all these iconic women have played before me.

What’s it like popping up on stage at the top of the show and singing “All that Jazz”?
Oh my goodness! I don't even know how to describe it properly. It’s so fulfilling. The first time I did it was the most exhilarating experience ever. So I’m in what we call “the elevator,” and I hear the entire overture. I get in my pose, and my heart is racing. I remember shaking because I was so nervous! But there was something that happened once I hit that final extension and locked in. I became Velma Kelly because I knew we were at the top of the roller coaster going down. Yeah, it was all the emotions all at once.

Reece Weaver just took over the role of Roxie. First impressions?
I’ve been rehearsing with Reece [who started on September 7], and she is amazing. She comes from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, so she’s obviously an incredible dancer. But she’s also killing it as an actor and a singer. I think everyone is going to be very impressed. She's really going to take New York by storm with her performance.

Have you consulted with any other actresses who have played Velma?
I have talked to Sophie Carmen-Jones, who played Velma right before me and did it on the West End. She has a wealth of knowledge and has been giving me a lot of tips and tricks. Like, she told me that breaking in my shoes is important so I can feel good and solid in them—especially with all the saucy moves I do. She also talked to me about Velma’s iconic wig and how it can get stuck in your lashes or stuck in your mouth. And there’s specific makeup to do that complements the wig. She was just so gracious in expressing how each Velma is our own. The show has been going for 30 years, so we can get caught in certain traps. But we don’t want to forget to make it fresh within the world of the show.

And how do you make it fresh?
I don’t necessarily have a specific plan. I mainly wanted to try different things in the rehearsal room to see what worked best in the world of the show, while also learning what was needed from each department. Then I would throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. I have to see what works with my Roxie, my Mama Morton, my Billy Flynn. We don’t speak to every single person the same way because we’re always receiving something different, you know? I’m someone who just likes to play.

You’ve now starred in three iconic musicals: Aladdin, Wicked and Chicago. As a performer, can you describe the experience?
There is a level of comfort. But there’s intimidation too because audiences have an expectation. What's amazing about the shows is that we can rely on the base material and audiences will receive everything they want to receive—and they’ll still walk away with something that they never saw before or knew that they loved before. There’s always something new to discover. That’s how good these shows are, and why they’re so legendary and loved. And as an actor, I love being able to share that.

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