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When Ruthie Henshall was eight years old, her parents took her to her first musical, the original West End production of Chicago. "I remember bits and pieces of it vividly, because it's what made me want to go into show business," she says. [[image - color photograph of Ruthie Henshall as Velma Kelly]] [[caption]] Henshall as Chicago's Velma Kelly CATHERINE ASHMORE [[/caption]] In 1997, when the current revival of Chicago was staged in London, Henshall was cast as Roxie. Now she is making her Broadway debut in the show (she recently starred in the City Center Encores! production of Ziegfeld Follies of 1936); only this time, she's playing Velma. "At one point they'd asked me to do Roxie here, but I'd done the part for a year, and I wanted to do something new," she says. "But when I was offered Velma, I thought it was a spectacular opportunity, so special and a great challenge. I love the show so much. It's such a gift to be able to sing, dance, act and do comedy, all in one show. And I am so lucky to be working with Sandy. She is one of the most incredible women I've ever come across in the business. She has so much humility. She is a pure joy to work with and a pure joy to watch." Although Henshall knows both Velma and Roxie intimately, she says there's no danger of ever confusing the two. "They're such different characters, and they're so well-defined," she says. "Roxie thinks on her feet all the time. She just reacts to anything that comes at her, whereas Velma's the queen of the prison. Roxie ends up being one step ahead of Velma all the way, and Velma's never had anyone one step ahead of her. She's always ruled the roost. Roxie's [[image - black and white photograph of Henshall lying on the stage]] journey takes her through all the colors of the rainbow. Velma doesn't go on a similar journey. SHe has a harder edge, but there's also a vulnerability to her. The main thing is she's being usurped in front of her eyes, and it's so annoying to her." Henshall, one of the most sought-after stars in British musical theatre, is referred to on her green card as an "alien of extraordinary talents." She played Polly in the London and Toronto companies of Crazy for You and won an Olivier Award for her performance as Amalia in She Loves Me, the show in which she met her fiancè, John Gordon Sinclair, best known here as Gregory in the movie Gregory's Girl. She grew up in London, where her father is a journalist and theatre critic, and her mother teaches film, drama and television. "Part of her curriculum was to study the old MGM musicals," says Henshall, "and they were my first love. Gene Kelly was my idol. I really fancied him." She was "ten or eleven" when she began studying ballet, but it wasn't until years later that she discovered she could also sing. "One of my teachers, who also wrote music, noticed I had a voice, and asked me to do some recordings for him," she says. "I've taken a few voice lessons, but I've never really studied. I'm one of those lucky people whose voice has developed as I've gotten older. I love singing, but there's nothing I love more than dancing. It does something to my soul." ☐ 14 WWW.PLAYBILL.COM PURE THEATRE ONLINE [[end page]] [[start page]] [[advertisement]] at what point does doing well change to being wealthy? [[image - black and white photograph of two women sitting on a balcony laughing]] [[caption]] build something [[/caption]] For years, you've kept your head down and worked hard. Now, hard as it is to believe, you're making more than you ever expected. You have more sophisticated investment options to consider. More tax implications to think about. ANd you need more help sorting it all out. That's where The Private Clients Group at Fleet comes in. Your personal Relationship Manager will work with you to find innovative ways to take what you've built and build something more. They'll serve as your partner, connecting you to Fleet's extraordinary depth of expertise-- from investment management to structuring a tax-sensitive portfolio to discount brokerage. All of which are custom-tailored to make you feel more in control of your wealth. It's a level of service that's not for everybody. Just those who've earned it. Call Bill Flemer at 1-800-563-0702. And let us help you build something. [[image - logo of Fleet]] Fleet Private Clients Group www.fleet.com/privateclients Investment management services provided by Fleet Investment Advisors Inc. Fleet is a registered mark of Fleet Financial Group, Inc. © 1999 Fleet Financial Group, Inc. All rights reserved. [[/advertisment]]
