Last Friday, Tenafly High School’s cast of the musical Chicago performed its final show of the year, delivering a truly spectacular show about crime, murder, and corruption within the Chicago justice system. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity by my friend to watch it with her because she had an extra ticket. Being the avid musical theater fan I am, I was shocked that somehow I had never watched a Tenafly production before. It was about time I changed that.
Upon entering, I immediately noticed that, before the show even began, the audience had already produced an exciting hum of anticipation. I found myself already at the edge of my seat as the band, directed by Mr. Farnham, began to play. Here’s a quick rundown of everything that followed:
5-6-7-8!
“5-” The plot was very clearly communicated with an amazing sound system (shout out to the stage crew!) along with a series of well-executed comedic bits. The plot was intriguing, fun, yet satirically dark. So, what is the plot? We follow the journey of Roxie as she navigates the corrupt Chicago justice system in the 1920s, from her simple origin as a cheating, narcissistic wife of a gullible, yet loyal mechanic to the desperate vaudeville act that she becomes. After she shot her lover for trying to end the affair, she was caught and rightfully imprisoned as she awaits her trial. During the play, we tour the infamous Cook County Jail run by the unapologetic warden and bribe-taker, Matron “Mama” Warden played by Sara Hau (’25). Hau explained her method of turning other murderers into vaudeville stars while making her own profit off of it with the help of the notoriously good lawyer Billy Flynn with her song, “When You’re Good to Mama”. She forgets her former favorite prisoner Velma Kelly in favor of the now more famous prisoner Roxie. Roxie succeeds in manipulating her way in staying alive but discovers her true desire to be famous in vaudeville. Realizing that they could not be famous by themselves, the two rivals band together to start their own vaudeville show. While the subject matter is quite dark and should be taken seriously, the musical sufficiently portrays the fakeness of the Roaring Twenties and the darkness of human nature.
“6-” Despite being already aired as a teaser on THS TV, the coaxing opener “All That Jazz” completely blew me away. Raphaella Bamonte (’26) played the seasoned prisoner Velma Kelly, capturing the character’s cold, calculating ferociousness. Bamonte’s flexibility and one-handed cartwheel, much less in heels, made everyone gasp with pure amazement. Let’s not forget the ensemble as well. The ensemble’s unwavering, steely-eyed stares added a captivating dimension to the show as they danced across the stage. They almost seemed fixated on some otherworldly goal that they would do nothing to stop at. If the goal was to deliver a smashing hit, they succeeded.
Clara Pimenta (’26) absolutely gave her character Roxie Hart justice (quite ironic, isn’t it), exuding with the eagerness and determination that allowed her character to be more pleased with being famous than alive. Pimenta’s performance in “We Both Reached for the Gun” completely resembled the one in the famous movie Chicago, while giving it her own style. She “flailed” around with the purpose of a puppet that certainly would have made Renée Zellweger proud.
Wren Ophir (’26) played the charismatic, slick lawyer Billy Flynn to the tee, a fact only proven by his purely impressive belt at the end of “We Both Reached for the Gun” and his tap dancing skills in “Razzle-Dazzle.” Who can forget his angry mini tap dance as he exited with his exit music? And let’s not forget his romantic counterpart, Mary Sunshine. Senior Annabelle Denniston (’25) delivered the role with just the right amount of drama and arrogance of the renowned, high-end reporter. Denniston’s acting of Mary Sunshine fell right for Billy Flynn’s trap of well-placed and well-manufactured lies, and we fell right for Chicago.
“7-“ The thing that immediately caught my eye when I came in was the big, blocky letters spelling out “CHICAGO” that hung over the stage. It was decorated with lightbulbs that flashed accordingly, truly adding to the extravagant and flashy period of the setting’s Roaring Twenties. The red lights all around the perimeter of the auditorium also set the “bloody” mood quite well. The theme of shadiness and deceit was also aided by the spotlights which were so bright that they illuminated the dust surrounding the singers. The set was wonderfully designed with an innovative staircase in the background housing the band. The use of the mutes and consequential jazzy sound were very cool, might I add. The portable prison bar units made the musical even more dynamic and immersive, as they moved to form different arrangements as needed. At the Act 1 Finale, though, one of them sadly fell and cracked, narrowly missing Pimenta. However, she expertly kept her cool and picked it up as if nothing ever happened, showing the high-level professionalism of the group. What sealed the deal was the black ribbed pattern of the background. Its texture gave the show an edge.
“8!” The bows were also full of energy. Practically every member of the audience stood up to give a rousing standing ovation. Applause thundered and cheered as they ran out. Many cast members tried to hold their tears, but considering that it was the seniors’ last show, their facades noticeably broke one by one. They sobbed out silent “thank-you”s, choking on their emotions. They hugged each other to provide emotional support, a testament to their bond. It was so emotional. When it was time for us to greet them at the stage door, audience members huddled over the entrance, squealing over the delightful musical. Armed with bouquets, family members and friends waited minute after minute.
We all knew the amazing cast needed time to collect themselves. It was their last night, after all. And then they all burst in, lipstick-covered and crying to the cheers of the families. I found myself silent as I drank in the rawness of the sea of people as they hugged, cried, laughed, and thanked. It was an emotional hit in and of itself.
Watching the musical Chicago was a truly delightful experience. If you ever get the chance to watch the musical next year, make sure to stick behind afterwards for the stage door. Bravo to the cast and crew of Chicago and Mr. Ahn-Cooper, Mr. Farnham, and Mr. Graziano for their hard work in putting this all together! You can find their playbill here.
