At Churchill High School, what could have been an entertaining performance of the musical “Chicago,” turned into a chorus of sighs and groans of disappointment from the audience because of technical issues Nov. 14.
“Chicago” marks the second year in a row that Churchill’s school musical choice sparked debate throughout the community. Following in the footsteps of last year’s “Rent,” “Chicago” faced controversy for its language and references to sex and alcohol. The cast hit an obstacle when the show was cancelled three weeks before its opening night, but after persistent lobbying by students and slight changes to the script, the musical was back on and curtains opened Friday night.
Famed musical “Chicago” takes viewers on a trip to the roaring ‘20s, following death row murderesses Velma Kelly (played by senior Ashley Austin) and Roxie Hart (junior Alex Levenson) as they fight each other for the fame that will keep them in the papers and away from the gallows. Sharing the same slippery lawyer, Billy Flynn (senior Steven Rigaux), both girls do whatever it takes to make it to the top of Broadway.
Unfortunately, the Churchill show didn’t run as smoothly as one might have wished.
Everything seemed perfect when the opening number, “All That Jazz,” began. The orchestra hit every beat, the dancers put power into every move and Austin sang with an attitude that would give Catherine Zeta Jones, who played Velma in the 2002 movie version of “Chicago,” a run for her money.
Things took a turn for the worse barely five minutes later when technical problems, which were later blamed on cell phone frequency, jeopardized the sound system and shut off several headsets. Singers were forced to compete against the music and were ultimately drowned out. The problem seemed to be at its worse during the song “Cell Block Tango,” when the story line became incomprehensible because the background singers overwhelmed each soloist.
Later, the stage crew gave the cast one hand-held microphone to be shared on stage, but it seemed to be more troublesome than useful when actors struggled to pass it back and forth.
After a 15-minute intermission and sound check, the second act began on a much more promising note.
Josh Simon, who played Roxie’s husband, Amos, wowed the audience with his voice and heart-tugging performance of “Mister Cellophane,” a song about being invisible and ignored.
By the end, it seemed like whatever problems occurred in the first act were forgotten as the audience stood and applauded the cast in the end.
