I am extremely proud of this production. Chicago is so relevant to what is happening in our world today; the media being easily manipulated. This is my seventh year at the high school and I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved with this production. From my amazing co-workers, to the cast and crew members of Chicago, to their parents and supporters, this group of theatre lovers has dedicated large amounts of their time to make sure each production is their best. I am so proud of the students in this show because they have spent countless hours rehearsing and practicing their roles in order to make this show a success. Chicago is an American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Set in Chicago in the jazz age, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, about actual criminals and the crimes on which she reported. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal." The original Broadway production opened in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances, until 1977. Bob Fosse choreographed the original production, and his style is strongly identified with the show. It debuted in the West End in 1979, where it ran for 600 performances. Chicago was revived on Broadway in 1996, and a year later in the West End. The 1996 Broadway production holds the record as the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history. It is the second longest-running show to ever run on Broadway, behind only The Phantom of the Opera. The West End revival became the longest-running American musical in West End history. Chicago has been staged in numerous productions around the world, and has toured extensively in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The 2002 film version of the musical won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The quality of our cast and production crew members in this show is truly outstanding. What makes this production successful is not only what is presented on stage, but the cooperation, mutual respect, level of commitment, and the teamwork that has been demonstrated by everyone involved in this production. I would personally like to thank a few people who have truly made an impact on this production.
Kyle – Thank you for your constant support, I honestly could not have done this without you.
Kris and Scott – Thank you for being the best supportive parents any daughter could ask for. You two are always there to help whenever I ask for it.
Jason – Thank you for helping out as producer this year, it has been a great experience working with you and you have always taken a lot of stress off of my back by stepping up and helping me out.
Brian – Thank you so much for your time and dedication to this production, the students have learned so much from you. Thank you for working as hard as you have on this.
Hannah – Thank you for all your time and energy that you have put into this show in order to make our singers sound great. They sound amazing and I can’t thank you enough, this has been your best work to date!
Chelsea – Thank you for giving up so much time in order to create these wonderful dances. The show truly came alive through your choreography and it has been a pleasure to work with you on such a great production. You have truly shown how talented you are, being a first year teacher and taking on one of the biggest dance musicals.
Donnie - Thank you for taking your time in taking all of the headshots for the playbill. The photos came out amazing! Thank you for also putting together such a touching documentary on our rehearsal process. I couldn't not have done this without your help.
Hendra – Without your support and belief in our performing arts department, we never would be able to perform Chicago. I can’t thank you enough for helping us throughout this production and giving us so much of what we needed to make this show a success.
Aneesa – Thank you for always being there for me every step of the way and always offering your assistance. This show would not have been as successful without your unique talents and thoughtful input with the production and during every rehearsal. I don’t know what I would do without you by my side. You were always there to step up as a leader when I needed you to be and never said no once.
Naioby – Thank you for your constant dedication to finding the perfect costumes for our cast members. You have truly made this show look amazing and it was a pleasure to work with you. You have really made this show come alive through your costume choices.
Kevin and Maiya – This show would not sound the same without your touch. Thank you for giving up your time to make every actor and sound effect heard and sound amazing. I could not have done this show without you.
Jaelyn – Thank you for your thoughtful planning and hard work throughout this production process. It has been amazing to see how much you have learned about lighting within these past four years and I am truly sad to be losing you. You have a natural talent for lighting design and I greatly enjoyed working with you.
Rory – Thank you for your countless hours of labor that you have put into this show in building these sets. I couldn’t have asked for a better design partner, you always say yes to anything I ask for and I truly appreciate it.
Louis - Thank you for giving up so much of your time to make sure our show runs smoothly.
Brianna and Nawal – Thank you for your dedication to this long and productive rehearsal process. You guys are my eyes and ears backstage and this show would not run as smoothly as it does without you there to make it happen. Thank you for filling in as dancers and actors when I needed you to be and thank you for not being afraid to be the “bad guys” backstage and for always listening to my crazy comments on the headsets.
Sincerely,
Allyson Boylan
Theatre Director
Palm Springs High School
