For the last 25 years the Fall Musical at Camden Hills Regional High School’s Strom Auditorium has been a tradition here on the Midcoast. Showcasing the greatest singing, dancing, and acting talent of the towns which make up CHRHS, not to mention all those behind the scenes, running sound and lights, sets and costumes.

This years production of Chicago: The Musical, Teen Edition does not disappoint.

Adapted from a 1924 play by reporter and playwrite Maureen Dallas Watkins, who based it on her coverage of the trials of two actual woman murderers, the play was adapted into a musical in 1975, and became a long running Broadway staple. The musical was written by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

The CHRHS production is directed by Kailey Smith, with music director Drew Albert, tech director Tom Heath, and lead choreographer Gretchen Henderson. Multiple students assisted in stage management, lights, sound, and choreography.  

The musical’s main set is the Cook County Jail, during the Jazz Age of 1920s Chicago, where the lead actors find themselves imprisoned after the murder of their partners. This is comprised of a two story set, both lined with barred cells, joined by an elegant stair case which allows for plenty of space for the action to take place. 

In a deviation from most of the shows I have seen at CHRHS, the pit band, made up of talented jazz musicians from the community, is not actually in the pit, but setup at the edge of the stage, making them a part of the show and who the student actors actually interact with at times.

Above the band is the iconic lighted sign, Chicago.

The show opens with aspiring vaudeville star Velma Kelly, played by Burke Sabatini, performing what is perhaps the best known number from the show, “All That Jazz”, warming up the audience. The scene then shifts to Roxie Hart, played by Annie Costello, a married woman who murders her lover in cold blood after he dares to say he is leaving her. Roxie believes her simple, agreeable husband Amos, played by Eli Miller, will cover for her, but when he realizes that Roxie has been having an affair, Roxie is sent to Cook County Jail, where she joins Velma and five other female murders, all who proclaim their innocence. 

The story relates unlikely celebrity, as the inmates are managed by Keeper of the Keys, Matron “Mama” Morton, played by Elliot Ames Cruz, who for a fee, offers Roxie assistance with launching a vaudeville act upon her acquittal, and sets her up with famed defense attorney Billy Flynn, played by Zev Whitcomb, who, of course, does it all for “love”, plus $5000.

The show is energized by the massive ensemble cast, and some of the best dance choreography I have seen, demonstrating the breadth of talent among the young performers.

The chemistry between Ms Sabatini and Ms Costello’s Velma and Roxie is fantastic, as they compete for media attention, and their dreams of converting bloodshed to fame. Mr. Whitcomb brings smarm and his deep baritone voice to Billy Flynn, one of the great rogues of the stage. Ms Ames Cruz’s wonderful portrayal of “Mama” Morton rounds out the group of scoundrels. 

For me, it was Mr. Miller’s performance of poor lovelorn Amos Hart, singing “Mister Cellophane”, that really stood out, just the perfect sad sack, and probably the only truly sympathetic character.

Even 50 years after being first performed on Broadway, Chicago: The Musical remains a relevant satire of our cultural obsession with celebrity and devious doings. 

The songs are among the catchiest of the great musicals, and delivered by a talented cast with brilliant comic timing. As I have come to expect from the Strom, the sound is amazing, and student light designer Isabel Pease-Fontaine does a fantastic job, making a jailhouse set into a jazz club stand in.

The packed house Saturday evening laughed, roared, and whistled throughout the performance, which I am told the cast greatly appreciates. Chicago: The Musical, Teen Edition fully delivers on the high expectations we have come to expect from the CHRHS fall musical, and should not be missed.

Tickets remain available for the shows Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15, at 7 p.m., and for the Sunday Matinee, November 16, at 2 p.m. Don’t wait, and secure you seats at the Strom.