TodayYouth actors tackle razzle dazzle of ‘Chicago’
PYMT bringing its own version of “Chicago” to the stage with mix of flash and dance, but staying true to the original stage play.
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Frankie Mosley, center, playing the part of Billy Flynn, controls his ventriloquist dummy, played by Courtney Roy, during a dress rehearsal for the upcoming show "Chicago" being performed by the Pennsylvania Youth Music and Theatrics starting Thursday, Nov. 13 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Carlisle Theater in downtown Carlisle. (Matthew O'Haren/Special to The Sentinel)
Frankie Mosley, center, sings "All I Care About" as the fan dancers circle around him. (Matthew O'Haren/Special to The Sentinel)
Michelle Smith, playing the part of Prison Matron Ma’ma Morton, sings during rehearsal. (Matthew O'Haren/Special to The Sentinel)
Shannon McCoy, right, playing the part of Velma, talks about how she killed her husband and sister, left, in a jealous rage after finding out they were having an affair in the song "Cell Block Tango." (Matthew O'Haren/Special to The Sentinel)
Dustin LeBlanc had the schedule of events completed when he got the news.
After years of applying with little hope of anything coming to fruition, the Pennsylvania Youth Music and Theatrics director was granted the rights to “Chicago” — an achievement that only two other youth theater companies in the country could claim this year. The stage musical rarely allows local theater companies to produce the show, especially as national tours make their way through states and the Broadway show still attracts crowds to New York City.
Needless to say, LeBlanc dropped everything and called an emergency meeting with the PYMT board.
“It was miraculous that we got picked,” LeBlanc said. “You don’t get an opportunity like this everyday, and I was met with huge excitement from the board. To let kids be able to do a current Broadway show on this level is amazing. Even as I watch them perform on opening day, I’m still not going to believe that we were able to get it.”
The actors seemed to share the enthusiasm of their director, and many were auditioning for the first time with PYMT.
“I’ve never done anything with PYMT before,” said Courtney Roy, 16, of Camp Hill, who plays Roxie Hart in the production. “This is 45 minutes away from where I live. If it was any other show, I probably wouldn’t have tried out. But it was ‘Chicago,’ and I just really like the show. Roxie is such a good part.”
Cause for concern
Though the excitement was palpable, so was the concern.
LeBlanc knew going in that while it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, it was also a risky move for a youth theater company. The show’s concentration is on dancing, which is at a level far beyond a high school musical.
“I’m very excited, but I’m absolutely terrified,” LeBlanc said. “We’ve done dancy shows before, but the magnitude of this and the content is something else. We want people to come and see ‘Chicago’ and be blown away by the dance and push the envelope of show-stopping number after show-stopping number.”
Given that LeBlanc and the actors had no intention of doing anything less than the original caliber of the show, the cast underwent a strict series of dance rehearsals that took up about two of the three months they had to rehearse the show. It was daunting to Frankie Mosley, 18, of Carlisle, who plays hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn.
“All of the dances looked so difficult,” Mosley said. “All I could think of was ‘thank goodness it’s not me.’ The only intense thing I have to do is the Charleston.”
Something Mosley is concerned about when it comes to his own role is how most audiences are going to think the show will look and sound before they even get there.
“I’m nervous about people who have seen the movie,” Mosley said. “It’s a blast, and I’m sure the audience will love it, but the play is nothing like the movie at all.”
The movie in all its razzle dazzle glamor was a concern for LeBlanc and the board as well, who know that the revived Broadway stage play is produced with a minimalist approach. On stage, there are no costumes, only black leotards and clothing, almost little if any sets and no big name in lights. It’s a huge difference from glitzy world in the 2002 movie, which is the more widely known version of the play.
“A lot of my friends saw it and went to New York to see the play and they all came back disappointed,” LeBlanc said. “If you’ve ever seen the Broadway show, they do it very minimalist. It was so the audience appreciated the dancing more. The movie was huge and flashy. We’re trying to do a blend of both worlds — have some 1920s looks, but also some color, and a lot more flash — something I think Carlisle audiences are looking for. We just have to move from one extreme of flash and bare bones and find a happy medium.”
Not for kids
Another difference between the play and the movie is the targeted age-range of the audience. The movie may have only gotten a PG-13 rating to ensure better box office results, but the play is much racier with sex, profanity and the not-so-occasional joke on race and religion.
LeBlanc said he had to raise the age range for the actors. Normally the group allows children as young as 11 to perform in the shows. “Chicago,” however, was limited to those 15 and over.
“All of the actors are doing well with it, though,” he said. “They’re all very mature about it. We’re a youth theater, not a children’s theatre. These are young adults performing, and they’ve heard far worse before. We performed at Carlisle’s Octubafest, and we stopped in the square during the Halloween parade and did a number. From what people were saying, they were pretty impressed. There were a couple older gentlemen who did not realize that they were kids performing.”
LeBlanc added that although some of the language can be a surprise for those new to the stage play, he didn’t want to just censor every line to appease everyone.
“You obviously never want to cut anything out of a play,” LeBlanc said. “It was written by the author for a reason, and we’re doing this as written. Occasionally I’ll get rid of the excessive profanity, a few of the racist comments and some of the religious comments that don’t belong. I’ve made some minimal cuts in dialogue, but never in the music.”
Shannon McCoy, 18, of Carlisle, was excited about what she would be able to do with the uncut play on stage as Velma Kelly before even leaving high school.
“I wanted to continue working with PYMT, and I’ve done every single show since five years ago, but this was a huge deal,” McCoy said. “I just always wanted to do the show.”
McCoy and the other youth actors of PYMT will present their version of “Chicago” starting Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Carlisle Theatre. The show will run from Thursday to Sunday with evening and matinee productions. Seating is $10 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens.
