The following reviews are written by Lakewood High School students in the 10th grade Advanced English class of Kate Lisowski Laino after attending the Beck Center’s Beck Teen Theatre production of Chicago. Read on for their take:
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The show, Chicago, is a classic musical that is very well-known throughout the country. The show contains scandal, lies, and numerous mature themes. This could make the musical very hard to re-make, considering that the expectations may be very high.
However, The Beck Center did an excellent job of recreating this classic show. With the combination of the complex dance numbers and the strong vocals, the show was beyond enjoyable. The performance continues to seem even more impressive considering that it was put on by teenagers, who did an excellent job of showing these mature themes.
The leads in the show, Roxy and Velma, had all the aspects that a good performer should have. They were able to sing strongly, dance gracefully, and act convincingly. They really seemed to understand the characters and the show, and very impressively portrayed the characters in their own unique way.
The supporting roles of Billy and Mama also had impressive voices, and had outgoing attitudes while performing. The staging, the music, the lighting, and choreography of the show were all extraordinarily well-done. Seeing this show was without a doubt worth the trip to the Beck Center, and I would highly recommend that people in Lakewood should attend more shows there more often.
–Hannah Marek
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The Beck Center for the Arts flawlessly pulled off their production of the musical, Chicago. It was entertaining and enjoyable.
The show begins with a murder committed by Roxie Hart, already pulling the audience in. It gave an inside look into the lives of the sinful ladies in a 1920’s Chicago jail. The jail time, trial, and pregnancy (sort of) of Roxie Hart was portrayed through song and dance. It was tastefully done from beginning to end with seamless scene changes and great acting.
A plot based in the roaring twenties made for a tricky task for the cast however the actors and actresses portrayed their roles with ease. The music was amazing and the stage was radiating with talent. The cast was perfectly chosen and the costume designs were well done.
One actor to note was Amos, the oblivious husband of Roxie Hart. His voice was full and intriguing; he played his part impressively. Another actress who was made for the part was Velma Kelly. She added spice and humor to the production without over doing it. It was more than just acting for her, her body language also contributed to making the part great. All together the cast blended well and showed how much fun they had acting, they made Chicago a must see play.
This was the first play I saw at the Beck Center and I could not have been more pleased. It would have been a shame to have missed the opportunity of seeing Chicago so tastefully done.
–Elizabeth Pearlman
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Chicago. The story of lust, murder, adultery, redemption, and fame. Last week, 10th graders at LHS had the honor of attending the Broadway classic Chicago. The play was at The Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood. The story followed a group of women through there time in prison and fight for freedom and fame. The main character, Roxie Hart, was sentenced to life in prison after killing her husband. Along the way she meets Velma Kelly, a women in a similar situation. In the end, both women obtain their freedom through a thrilling court case and they go on to attain their fame.
The Beck Center put on a wonderful rendition of Chicago and it is a must see for all ages. The play will have you laughing and humming along to familiar tunes. I was impressed by the caliber of acting as the play was put on by high schoolers.
My favorite scene of the play was at the beginning when the audience was first introduced to Velma Kelly. The lights were dim setting an eerie tone to the play, in the background you could hear the soft jazz being played by a live band and on the stage a thin veil of smoke was forming. Then all of a sudden two gun shots rang out thus setting the plot of the play. This scene was cleverly designed as it pulled you into its relaxing trance and then shocked you with the gun shots.
From that point on, the energy of the play continued to increase all the way through the final scene. The actors did an amazing job as they not only sold to the audience their part but they looked like they were enjoying their time on the stage too. Both of the lead actors in the play did an outstanding job in their roles as Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. They sang, danced, and acted in a professional way. In the end, I would highly recommend seeing the play Chicago. With its catchy tunes and great actors this is something you don’t want to miss!
–Halle Krebs
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The Beck Center’s take on the classic Broadway play, Chicago, was amazing. The amount of talent all the teenage actors had was incredible. They could sing, they could dance, and they could act. Every single one of the actors portrayed their role perfectly. The actors that played Roxie and Velma could not possibly be anymore sassy, self-centered, and snobby. At some points in the play, you would hate them but they would always make you like them again.
The role of the actor is not just to play the role and memorize lines, it is to make the audience interested with the character and make them have emotions toward them. The Hungarian girl made you feel sad and even pity her for her misfortune, “Not guilty!” Amos was the ignorant husband of Velma who thought his wife truly loved him while in actuality she was just using him. He made you feel bad for him but his foolishness could also irritate you.
It is because of the awesome acting skills of these young actors that made the play so great. Even with minor roles such as the judge or the other lawyer you could tell and see the emotion they put into their characters. On top of it all, you could tell that each one of them loved what they were doing which made the audience love them more.
–Alex Schwarz
Lakewood, OH 44107