Mainstage Theater is set to perform “Chicago” as their spring musical. Mainstage will explore different genres of music and styles of dance in the classical musical. 

“Chicago” was written by playwright Fred Ebb and choreographer Bob Fosse, with music by John Kander. Set in the 1920s, “Chicago” follows main character Roxie Hart, a singer who dreams of becoming a star. The musical opens with Hart committing a crime. She is sent to prison and meets Velma Kelly. The pair find stardom and become famous for their crimes. First performed in 1975, “Chicago” has been performed almost 10,000 times at the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway in New York City. 

“I think it’s an extremely iconic musical and really highlights how women were treated under the law in the 1920s,” senior Emily Tifft, who plays Annie, said.

Following success from last year’s musical, “Mean Girls,” mainstage looks forward to performing more mature musicals with heavier themes, like fame and committing crimes. 

“It’s different because, in previous years, we did a lot of more child-appropriate shows and after ‘Mean Girls,’ Mrs. Perry started doing more adult shows,” junior Madison Gardner, who plays Katie, said. 

Making sets and designing costumes are some of the tasks the crew is responsible for. Sophomore Bayleigh Michael has a job behind the scenes, working with the lights and music. Michael works with both the cast and crew, making sure the musical runs smoothly.

“We’ve been doing a lot of set building and we’ve got a whole bunch of new lights and equipment that we’re using,” Michael said. “I organize everything, but it’s the cast’s job to keep up with everything. It’s incredible to see it all coming together.”

“Chicago” has more choreography than previous musicals and has a strong focus on jazz dances and music. Some dance moves highlighted are jazz hands and finger snaps.

“It’s very dance heavy, and dance is my strong suit in theater,” Gardner said. “And it has a lot of fun songs to dance to. We get to act differently than we would in some of the other musicals. My favorite dance in ‘Chicago’ is ‘Cell Block Tango.’ With my partner, I get to do complicated tricks and lifts that look amusing to the audience.” 

Director of Theatre Arts and Chorus teacher Jelita Perry works with choreographer Christina Schoenster to help the actors with the intricate dances that “Chicago” has to present. Perry and Schoenster work to keep the audience entertained while at the same time keeping the musical authentic to the time period. 

“While this show appears on the surface to simply be pure entertainment, its themes are rather complex and mature,” Perry said. “This requires some intelligent analysis and critical thinking on the part of the actors. From a directing perspective, the biggest challenges are keeping the timeless feeling of the show, while also staying true to the time period of the story.”

The musical will be performed from April 26 – 28 in the Alan Jackson Theater and tickets are on sale on booktix. 

“This show is an icon of American musical theatre,” Perry said. “I’m so excited to present it to the Central Virginia community and showcase the talents of our LCHS students.”