Chicago Does a Number on the Past and the Present

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On Sunday March 22, Somers High School Theater completed their three day run of Chicago. Music, show stopping dance numbers, plenty of humor and a timeless message, the infectious joy came through loud and clear for the audience. But actually achieving the synergy was no easy task.

“All the choreography is very intricate,” said Kristina Giudice. “It’s a lot of time, a lot of patience and a lot of practice.”

The dancer credits the director. “Linda Duci is very well rounded in Fosse dance,” assured Giudice.

Roxie, on the other hand, is way round the bend. The main character kills her lover because he wants to break off their affair and then she gets her husband to confess. They claim Fred Casely was a burglar, and the death was self defense.

“He had it coming,” goes the iconic Broadway hit and Fiona Sledzik playfully remained in character after the curtain came down.

“Every single time, he has it coming,” the actress joked.

No doubt, Velma concurs. She has killed her cheating husband, but hell hath no fury is not a defense.

Enter Billy Flynn (Zavier Tejeda), he does most of his legal work in the court of public opinion - especially when it comes to celebrities. So Velma (Emily Lopatka) and Roxie got the right lawyer.

But a not guilty verdict isn’t the only thing at stake in the drama. The two defendants are vying for the headlines and the primary attention of Billy. “It’s a little bit difficult because we love each other so much,” said Sledzik.

Conversely, drawing a parallel to grabbing headlines in the 1930s and accumulating likes in the 2020s is pretty easy. “There’s always going to be a scheme to be at the top no matter the platform,” Sledzik explained.

Lopatka isn’t missing the message either. “There are a lot of girls in high school who could be a Roxie or Velma,” said the co-lead.

The same goes for all those who wouldn’t mind getting lost in the look and feel of the era. “It’s so much fun. I’ve never worn anything like this,” the senior said of her silver and black vaudeville dance outfit.

In the crossfire, Billy Quinn is the man in the middle, and according to Lopatka, Zavier Tejeda is no intermediary. “He’s all in and putting his best foot forward” she said.

A two step, it turns out because the character appears to be acting idealistically but is only taking the case for the fame and the money. “I get to play the good guy and the bad guy and finding that balance was a challenge,” said Tejeda.

Also in the mix, Zach Gordon plays the reporter and understands that things haven’t changed almost a hundred years later. “He wants to get the scoop, get the scoop and get more scoop,” said the junior.

No matter the cost the actor recognized, the uplift meant more - especially in the signature number. “All That Jazz, I always feel like I’m about to cry,” he clarified.

Very forthcoming, the revelation aligns with the way Giudice sees the play and the over emphasis of our online indulgences. “Losing yourself in social media or getting caught up in whatever is going on in the world," she concluded, “it’s so important to remind yourself who you really are.”

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Part II of photos are on the way

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