‘Luz' to inaugurate Arts Center at UTB-TSC

BROWNSVILLE – Bianca Marroquin is excited about her performance that will inaugurate the new Arts Center at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

Marroquin, 34, will perform "Luz" at The Arts Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. "Luz" will feature two dancers and seven musicians performing songs by both American and Mexican composers, plus some of Marroquin’s own compositions.

"It’s a concert I’m putting together here in New York," said Marroquin, who was performing in the Broadway musical "In the Heights" about the community of Washington Heights in New York City.

"During the afternoons I will be rehearsing and putting together this concert and then at night I’m performing on Broadway," she said in early August.

While The Arts Center has already been the venue for university students and teachers, Marroquin will be the first performer from outside the university to perform for the public, said Marcela Lawler, one of the co-chairs of the event.

"She’s from here, she grew up here, has really struggled and done an awesome job and is doing wonderful in Broadway," she said.

Marroquin was born in Monterrey. However, she grew up in Matamoros and crossed the bridge every day to attend school in Brownsville. Therefore, performing at The Arts Center has special meaning for her.

"The theater is beautiful, it’s wonderful," she said. "I’m so happy that Brownsville will finally have such an amazing venue for many things to come, so I put together a concert for that occasion."

Marroquin will bring years of experience performing before live audiences. A biography released by Lawler says she began her career in Mexico City where she performed in productions of "Beauty and the Beast," "Rent," "Phantom of the Opera," "The Vagina Monologues" and "Chicago."

Her portrayal of Roxie Hart in "Chicago" won Marroquin five awards from the Mexican Critics Association. Her bio states that she debuted on Broadway in 2002 with her English version of Roxie Hart. She later kicked off "Chicago’s" third national tour. For that performance, she received a Helen Hayes Award in Washington, D.C., for outstanding lead actress in 2004.

She’s also performed with Harry Connick Jr. and Patrick Swayze.

"It’s been really a wonderful privilege," she said. "I’ve learned so much from each one of them. I spent quite a time with him (Patrick Swayze) here on the Broadway company and then we both left the Broadway company to go to the touring company, and went to L.A. and San Diego. It’s been quite an experience just to witness both their followings and how people love them and how they manage their whole career and their talent. It’s just always a learning experience for me."

At the Arts Center performance on Saturday, the musical numbers will be interlaced with script.

"I will talk to the audience and take them into this journey with which we all relate, and basically all the emotions we go through in life, just touching different emotions that we can all identify with," she said. "There will be lots of choreography, lots of dancing and lots of singing, and great music because the band is really awesome. It’s all kind of a theatrical concert."

Marroquin elaborated by stating that a seven-piece orchestra will accompany the performers.

The next performance at The Arts Center will take place Sept. 17 when Tambuco, a high-energy percussion ensemble, performs. On Oct. 1, both the Turtle Island Quartet and Luna Negra will perform.

WHAT: "Luz"

WHAT IS IT: A musical and dance performance choreographed by Bianca Marroquin

WHEN: Aug. 21

TIME: 8 p.m.

WHERE: The Arts Center at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College

COST: $40, $50, $75, $100.

Center stage sponsorships: $500 for two VIP tickets.

FOR TICKETS: Tickets and sponsorship available at (956) 459-9346

Tickets also available at The Arts Center Box Office at (956) 639-2918.