All that jazz

Bryanston High School finally brought their long-awaited musical Chicago on stage on 14 May and the audience was blown away by the performance.

The plot is tasteful and is full of soliloquies, with feisty put-downs, amazing humour and songs from the original play. The musical was originally based on the true story of American suspected murderer Beulah Annan. Maurine Dallas Watkins wrote the play in 1976 about Roxie Hart and the spectacular murder of her boyfriend. This rendition of the play was changed to suit high school learners.

The storyline is as fresh and modern as ever, with lights, camera, and action everywhere. The scene is set when these six words are uttered minutes into the play: murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, and treachery.

Jenna Du Toit, who plays Roxie Hart, said, “I am so happy about the way the show turned out. I come alive every time I am on stage and the anxiety that I feel is the driving force for performing wholeheartedly.”

The music and choreography is a joy to experience, with top-notch skills from both those in the theatre band and those center stage. The cast and band really take things to the next level, dazzling with their expertise, and not missing a beat.

Ashleigh Venter, schoolteacher, and director of the play said,

“I am exceptionally proud of these kids. They have been phenomenal on stage and are so talented. They really showed all their hard work tonight after five months of preparation. This was the vision that Michele de Klerk [another schoolteacher and director] and I had for the opening night.”

The cast said that they were exhausted from all the time spent rehearsing, but they displayed a lot of enthusiasm, maintaining that ‘the show must go on’.

Details: The musical is performed every night until 17 May. For more information about tickets, contact Teresa Cook at teresacook@bryanston.com

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