In his Broadway debut, Sebastián Yatra delivers a solid vocal performance and displays delightful stage presence as the charming, corrupt attorney Billy Flynn in Chicago. Here, he is not the same singer of the Latin pop hits that peaked. is a conscious cast member dedicated to the demands of this type of show.
The Colombian star began his four-week engagement in the long-running musical on Monday (November 25), where he shares lead roles with Broadway veterans Bianca Marroquín and Kimberly Marable, who play Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, respectively.
The singer-songwriter, known for his #1 hits Bulletin board Latin Airplay charts such as “Tacones Rojos”, “Un Año” (with Reik) and “Robarte un Beso” (with Carlos Vives), makes the jump to the mecca of theater two years after his debut as an actor in the miniseries . Once upon a time… Fortunately never after.
Although at 30 he's younger (and cuter) than other actors who have played Billy Flynn — Jerry Orbach was 40 in the original 1975 production and Richard Gere was 52 in the 2002 film adaptation — on Tuesday (26 November), only his second performance, Yatra shined, showing new vocals and singing classic songs like “Razle Dazzle” and “We Both Reached for the Gun” in English. While dancing is not considered his forte, he followed the choreography without a problem and stood out with his eloquence and likability.
“All in Chicago he's excited and proud of him,” said Marroquín, who shares many scenes with Yatra in the show. Billboard Español on Tuesday as he was leaving the theater. “He's done a great job. He arrived very disciplined with everything memorized, very dedicated, very responsible, and on top of that he is a sweetheart. Being with him behind the scenes is divine. She is a very beautiful soul. So I love having that connection because, after all, Roxie and Billy have a lot to do with each other in the show. We have created a beautiful friendship, a bond, a very nice chemistry.”
Set in the 1920s, Chicago —the longest-running American musical on Broadway at nearly three decades—is a scathing satire of how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals. With a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Ebb, it features killer songs like “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango” and “Mr. Cellophane.”
With Yatra, the role of Billy Flynn now takes on some Latin and modern flavor. “Latinos have something special, even when we speak English, there's a lot of love in us, a lot of passion,” Yatra said. Billboard Español in September, after announcing his Broadway debut. “I think I can offer a perspective from someone living in 2024 at almost 30, how they see this world, also knowing that I could perfectly well be a lawyer and I could be that person standing there. Thank God Billy and I don't share the same values, because that would be confusing!' he added with a laugh.
Over the years, Chicago has invited various Latin stars to join the musical for brief appearances. Yatra joins a list that includes Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, who in 2009 played Matron “Mama” Morton, and Mexican singer and actor Jaime Camil, who in 2016 played Billy Flynn.
Chicago presented at the Ambassador Theater (219 W. 49th St.) For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Broadway musical website.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/sebastian-yatra-chicago-broadway-debut-billy-flynn-1235840639/
