Come on down- and don't bring your husband- to dance the "Cell Block Tango" at Pennsauken High School to see their rendition of Chicago: High School Edition.
Chicago is a story of two female murderers: Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. Based on the true story of two murderers by the names of Beulah Anne and Belva Gaertner, the Bob Fosse musical with music by John Kander hit Broadway in 1975. It ran for two years before being revived in 1996. It is still running to this day and remains the second longest running Broadway show.
Pennsauken High School did a phenomenal job in their rendition of the High School edition of Chicago. Every single element drew the audience in and made them wish the show would never end. "All That Jazz" was spectacular showcasing Velma's (Grace Raymond) smooth and jazzy vocals and the ensemble's energetic and sharp Fosse moves. The fan favorite, "Cell Block Tango" was stunning, and the Merry Murderesses were very memorable.
Janell Darby, portraying the remarkable Roxie Hart, was unbelievably talented and born to play Roxie. She became Roxie on stage and developed her character extremely well. Her acting was Broadway worthy, and her vocals and dancing were just as good. Velma Kelly (Grace Raymond) was perfect across from Darby. She had the skills of a gymnast and melted into every count of choreography she had making it all seem extremely easy. Her voice was incredible and fit Velma really well. Together, Darby and Raymond made a stellar duo, like in their duet, "My Own Best Friend." The final lead, Billy Flynn (Logan Endes), sang like an old Hollywood star and perfectly embodied a greedy, egotistical lawyer.
In the supporting cast, Matron "Mama" Morton (Myah Clowney) walked out in her red suit and showed the prison exactly who is in charge. Her song, "When You're Good to Mama" fit her voice really well and radiated power. Amos Hart (Ryan Vu) was hilarious as Roxie's husband and his rendition of the self-deprecating song "Mister Cellophane" left the audience feeling extremely sorry for him and his tendency to become invisible to others.
On the technical side, Pennsauken had a little bit of bad luck with their microphones. The actors did their best to project, but some things were out of their hands. The sets were stationary and simple, but paired with the lights they were very effective in telling the story and showing various settings. The light cues were smooth and on time and matched the mood really well. The show also had projections behind the sets that simply added just a little more to scenes.
Overall, Pennsauken High Schools performance of Chicago was undoubtedly an incredible production that showcased amazing performances from every single cast and crew member.