Spring Musical Brings Chicago to Cape

Sienna Smith

Staff Writer The Cape theater department is performing the musical Chicago this coming spring. The production features Cape students who are passionate about singing, acting, and dancing and who dedicate themselves to frequent rehearsals.

According to Concord Theatricals, the musical depicts Chicago during the roaring 20’s. Roxie Hart, an aspiring chorus girl, is caught having an affair and kills her lover when he tries to leave. Roxie attempts to convince her husband to take the blame, but he sees through the lies and turns on Roxie, who ends up in jail. There, she meets Velma Kelly, a famous nightclub performer who notoriously killed her sister and husband. Roxie and Velma are both represented by lawyer Billy Flynn and the two constantly compete for fame and headlines in order to stay relevant.

Rehearsals have been in session as the show comes together. Peyton Morris, a sophomore playing Hunyak, says, “We’ve been practicing really hard, up to four times a week… because [the performance] is coming up really soon.” 

Sadie Andros, musical director, and Marian Sunnergren, vocal director, both agree that snow days have hindered the rehearsal process.

However, Sunnergren adds, “We just had our sitzprobe, which is when the pit and cast play/sing together for the first time and now we are in the process of putting everything together on the stage: dance, vocals, blocking. We are hoping next week to add lights and sound!”

Chicago utilizes strong actors and singers, as well as demanding choreography. Kelci Atkins, history teacher and choreographer, says, “We chose the musical Chicago because we had a lot of talented actors that we knew would rise to the challenge of singing, dancing, and acting.” 

The students are evidently working to improve their skills, with Andros commenting, “Chicago has some very powerful (and famous) musical numbers and choreography is a huge part of the story - our students are immensely talented and they've been working very hard.” 

Cape students, staff, and community members are excited to see the talent that students will bring to the stage. Cadence Hostetler, a senior playing Liz, states, “I love performing, and being in [the musical] lets me and everyone else show off what we have been working towards.” 

With the effort put forth by everyone involved in the musical, Andros is confident that “the show is going to be fantastic and people are going to be wowed by our incredibly talented students." Andros states, "Live theater is such a fun adventure because it happens in real-time, and each show is going to have its own unique moments. The costumes and music will help to immerse our audience in the setting of the 1920s jazz age and will hopefully add some ‘Razzle Dazzle’ to the show. Please consider buying a ticket to support the production and our awesome students!” 

The show will be performed on March 13, March 14, and March 15 at 7 p.m, as well as March 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and online at onthestage.tickets.