Last Friday, I returned to my alma mater, Wellesley High School (WHS), to see the annual fall performance of "Chicago: The Musical." As I traveled between campuses, I thought back on all the past musicals put on by WHS and unfortunately developed high expectations for this weekend's performance. Their musical each fall is an extravaganza; the production is co-directed by the drama, choral, and orchestral departments. The drama director, Stephen Wrobleski, choral director, Dr. Kevin McDonald (known to students as Wro and Mac, respectively) and band director, Steven Scott worked alongside choreographer Ms. Sozio and piano accompanist Mr. Weirick (know simply as Chad to students) to produce this adapted Broadway musical.
Upon my arrival, I found my seat in the aging auditorium while my younger sister caught up with as many friends as she could spot. Expecting an elaborate, shiny set, I turned my gaze away from screaming teenage girls to the stage. There was no set. Instead, the 2:00 Jazz Band, a selective and competitive jazz band at WHS, was at the back of the main stage set up on risers. The only barrier between them and the main stage was a series of banners hanging from the stands of the musicians in the front row that said "2:00 Jazz Band" on them. Okay, I thought, maybe the set would appear with the cast.
Having never seen Chicago—the stage show or the film version—I had no idea what I was about to see, other than many of my younger siblings' friends. The show opened with the huge cast dancing to "All That Jazz"; I immediately recognized the song and couldn't help but sing (very quietly, so as not to embarrass my sister). The choreography was instantly engaging, the jazz trumpeters in the band were breathtakingly skilled and the costumes were phenomenal.
I must admit, I was rather nervous before the show started. I knew from movie trailers that the women in "Chicago" wear very scantily dressed. The original play by Maurine Dallas Watkins is set in the 1920s in a jail for women. The women all wear flapper-esque leotards accessorized with dangly shiny bits and fishnet stockings. The thought of seeing 30 plus high school-aged girls in fishnets didn't necessarily bother me, but I couldn't quite bring myself to imagine it before I actually saw them on stage. There was no disappointment, in fact, just pure awe. Each costume was slightly different but with matching shoes and tights. The leotards were mostly black but differed slightly in shape and style. Some actors wore corsets decorated with red sequins; others wore entirely black sequined mini dresses. Although individually, each actress' outfit probably looked slightly thrown together, as an ensemble they were fierce.
Senior Alyssa Dillon played Velma, one of the main characters, and sang the opening song with shiny red gloves on. Her strong jazzy voice was perfect for the role; strong-willed Velma is convicted for the murder of her husband and sister and is awaiting trial in jail. Conor Chinitz played Billy Flynn, (a young, undefeated attorney) beautifully. Nicole DuBois played Roxie, a fame-obsessed adulterer convicted of killing her lover. Roxie's personality is supposed to be ‘ditzier' than Velma's; DuBois perhaps took this a little too much to heart, but was redeemed by the rest of the cast's strong presence.
Throwing a musical together at a high school is difficult no matter how strong the drama and choral programs are. Actors must not only be able to sing without pitch problems, but also act and dance. Many of the dance routines included women doing splits, which is definitely not something the run-of-the-mill talented teenage girl can do on demand.
As the musical progressed, the only props used were chairs for a quite literally breathtaking chair dance by the women convicts, and some notepads and paper used by the journalists. This was no doubt a conscious decision. In the past, sets have been gloriously elaborate, particularly in "Les Miserables" which played when I was still a student at WHS. I was not completely convinced by this choice of no props. "Chicago" has an essence of complete glitz and glam, so I was expecting more, especially considering past WHS musicals. However, this certainly did not ruin my evening. In fact, it led my fellow audience members and me to focus on the talent of the cast.
There is always a possibility of disaster in high school performances. Forgetting lines, tripping and issues with pitch are usually inevitable. While none of these happened, it wasn't all good news. There were technical difficulties: specifically, microphone problems. When senior Ellie Mears took the stage as Matron Mama Morton for her first solo, her microphone failed to work for the entire song. Because the jazz band was so powerful, none of the lyrics could be heard. This was disappointing because Mears' voice is acclaimed at WHS; she is in various competitive singing groups and plans to continue singing in college. This showed that a minor technical problem can destroy literally months of work. Mears says she knew within her first few notes that her microphone wasn't working but had to keep singing. I wished whole-heartedly that someone from backstage could have ignored performance-laws and run out with a microphone. Fortunately, her microphone was fixed after the song, and she shone, quite literally, in a sparkling red dress, throughout the rest of the performance.
Cindy Buser of Parents of Performing Students (POPS) at WHS was house manager for the night. Both her children were in the performance. Paul played the piano in the jazz band, and Colette was in the main ensemble. Mrs. Buser has seen every single WHS performance of "Chicago" this year, yet she says that each is just as rewarding as the previous. "Each performance is unique," she says. "There's something slightly different about each one."
Not only did the actual performance scream creativity, but so did other aspects of the production like the show's program. In the program, cast members in the senior class had a blurb next to their name. Paul Buser's said: "Paul ‘gossip squirrel' Buser is an avid stamp collector and finds enjoyment in gathering dust. A self-acclaimed carpet-connoisseur, Paul can often be found relaxing on shag rugs." All the other seniors had blurbs similar to this, contributing to the audience's enjoyment before and after the show.
In short, "Chicago" truly sparkled. The finale was flawless; goose bumps ensued. I left the auditorium feeling a) very cold, b) very inspired and c) very proud of the fantastic work my high school still creates.
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