The musical, with a book by Heather Hach and music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, is based off the movie with the same name. The story is about Elle Woods, a fashion merchandise major at UCLA, whose boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, instead of proposing, breaks up with her. He’s been accepted to Harvard Law School and deems her as, “more of a Marilyn and less of a Jackie.” In a quest for love, Elle begins the admission process to Harvard along with the help of her sorority sisters, the Delta Nus. She’s accepted, thanks to a killer musical number that poses as her personal essay, and discovers that Warner has gotten himself a new girlfriend, Miss Vivienne Kensington. She’s determined to win Warner back by impressing him with her smarts, and with the help of her Professor’s teaching assistant, Emmett Forrest, she does just that, but another budding romance may just get in her way.

The show, as most musicals, was full of pizzazz and excitement. The actors complimented the fantastic score and delivered the cleverly written lines with the expertise one would expect from a group of theatre-loving high school students.

Genevieve Austin shined gracefully as Elle Woods. Her voice was harmonic and fit the role just as Cinderella’s foot fit her glass slipper. She handled technical mishaps quite well, including a wardrobe malfunction and a microphone glitch that lasted a few scenes, and played them off as professionally as possible. Adam Settlage impressed us as Emmett Forrest in the last few measures of “Chip on My Shoulder” by really belting his heart out. Abby Newburger charmed us with her Paulette Buonufonte by creating a new version of the classic character instead of copy-catting her way through the role and taking good risks. Erik Rigaux was always in character as the stern and menacing Professor Callahan. Even as the villain, he made the audience fall in love with him.

The Delta Nus were always smiling and trying their best to be energetic and entertaining. Chani Wereley as Vivienne shocked everyone with her wicked solo during “Legally Blonde Remix.” Her notes were strong and absolutely perfect. Sloane Momsen assured the audience was “whipped into shape” by showing off her dance moves as Brooke Wyndham. Jordan Li, as Warner, proved to delightfully handle zingers that had everyone laughing. Some of the actors had trouble continuing to act while singing, while others were on point. Even though the second act was clearly better, the first act had its moments and was very enjoyable.

The costumes, designed by Lauren Price, were fabulous. The orchestra performed flawlessly. The sets by Nik Ramirez were just complicated enough and impressed all. There were multiple sound issues, but they were fixed quickly and with precision.

Overall, Churchill High School’s performance of Legally Blonde: the Musical was quite the display and should be missed by no one who loves a classic story of girl follows boy and meets another on the way.

by Liz Carlson of Duke Ellington School of the Arts

Photo Gallery

Genevieve Austin	Genevieve Austin and Adam Settlage
Sloane Momsen	Moriah Kaufman, Zoey Maggid, Eliana Rabinovitz, Sean Dunn, Tiffany Bamdad
Moriah Kaufman, Laura Sperling, Chrissy Lorica

Photos by Winston Churchill High School

The set consisted of a solidly constructed room of walls, doors, staircases, and windows, and artfully painted with a combination of layered purple and green colors. Plush, embroidered pillows, elegant furniture, and the closed in atmosphere of the walls helped establish the intimate and peculiar nature of the play. The eerie notes of the tune to “Three Blind Mice” floated over the stage as if from a child’s music box and created a tense, creepy mood. In addition, the genuine sounds of a radio in the corner solidified and authenticated the setting. The lighting in The Mousetrap was also solid; flickering candle lights on the walls were a subtle touch that added to the old-style ambiance of the room. When sometimes they flickered on and off inexplicably, the problem was rapidly rectified and the effect was too small to be distracting. The lighting crew was very efficient when it came to cues, as they responded dependably to the characters’ turning lights on and off in the house. Woolly and neat, the costumes made by Alex Zohore were of good quality and combined uniqueness for the character and 1950’s authenticity. All of these tech elements blended together nicely to craft a backdrop for the intricate mystery to unfold before the audience.

Churchill’s The Mousetrap was uniquely portrayed by two casts simultaneously; actors would switch between exits and scenes. The charisma and energy of many of these actors kept the cogs of the story turning and entertaining. Alex Bankier, as one of the Sergeant Trotters, had tremendous stage presence and clear diction. His nuanced, steady accent made his character believable and likable. Other standout performers included Alex Cosio-Marron as Mollie Ralston, who appeared consistently honest in her portrayal, and Michael J. Mainwaring as the eccentric Christopher Wren, whose devoted physicality to the role could be both funny and frightening. Working together to bring the mystery to life, the actors created an effective buildup of energy and tension that ushered in the dramatic climax. While some actors were a little difficult to understand, the dynamism of others helped pull the entire cast through the show successfully.

All in all, Churchill’s production of the Queen of Mystery’s most famous play offered thrills and chills aplenty, and the few spots of low energy were made up for by the determination with which the cast and crew attacked the story. The talented performers and technicians kept everyone guessing until the last minute when, finally, the relentless murderer’s true and shocking identity was revealed.

by Sarah McCully of Albert Einstein High School

Photo Gallery

Monika Hammer (Mollie Ralston) and Ben Culleen (Christopher Wren)	Alex Bankier (Sergeant Trotter) and Laura Sperling (Miss Casewell)

Photos by Joe McCary

John Kander and Fred Ebb’s hit musical Chicago first opened on Broadway in 1975, with a 1996 production holding the record for longest running revival in Broadway history. A vaudeville style show with just as much glitz and glamour as grit and gore, Chicago is the tale of two stunning young murderesses and the unscrupulous lawyer who handles their cases.

In Winston Churchill High School’s production of Chicago, Ashley Austin led the cast as vaudevillian-turned-killer Velma Kelly, with her smoky vocals and edgy gracefulness. Her chemistry with prison matron Mama Morton (Shelby Sykes) carried the showstopper “Class,” as well as several delicious dialogue scenes. Sykes’ boundless charisma and soulful powerhouse voice made Mama Morton appealing without sacrificing the air of respect that her character demanded.

Alexandra Levenson demonstrated strong comedic chops, dance ability, and self-possession as Roxie Hart, a murderous housewife with a soft spot for the spotlight. She especially shone in her scenes with Billy Flynn (Steven Rigaux), who alternated between silver-tongued charmer and hard-edged mercenary with equal ease. His smooth, resonant singing voice and Levenson’s comic prowess were particularly notable in the hilarious ventriloquist act “We Both Reached For The Gun.”

Ironically, the most memorable performance of the night was given by Josh Simon as Amos Hart, Roxie’s sad sack husband who spent most of his stage time quietly lamenting his lack of attention and appreciation. Simon’s sensitive and emotional portrayal made him the most sympathetic and real character in the show.

A strong ensemble of dancers and singers fleshed out the vaudeville concept, including a quartet led by gifted tap-dancer Josh Kaufmann and the gang of six rag-tag ‘Merry Murderesses,’ who stole several scenes with their quirky mannerisms and energetic dancing. Bluma Millman was particularly haunting as Hunyak, the only truly innocent inmate. The many vignettes were expertly connected by the velvet-voiced Master of Ceremonies (Aaron Braverman) while the orchestra provided professional quality accompaniment to the jazzy musical numbers.

Actors remained unfazed by some of the sound and other technical errors in the first act, while stage crew (Maggie Pelta-Pauls, Lindsay Horikoshi, Nick Sines, and Phil Korpeck) made smooth transitions between the different settings. Jon Feldman‘s lighting added the right amount of ‘dazzle’ without becoming distracting, and makeup by Sarah Bonner, Carla Pena, and Elana Stein looked both glamorous and period-appropriate. Though the action onstage sometimes seemed cluttered and unfocused, with smaller roles distracting from leads, choreography by Thalia Ertman, Ryan Kanfer, Josh Kaufmann, and Ariana Nasser succeeded at putting a new spin on the classic Fosse choreography.

Overcoming obstacles ranging from sound glitches to censorship controversies, the sparkling cast, crew and orchestra of Winston Churchhill High School’s Chicago took the stand and put on a ‘killer’ show.

by Megan Fraedrich of West Springfield High School

RENT, written by Jonathan Larson, is loosely based on Puccini’s opera La Bohéme. The story evolves around a group of friends clinging to the ideals of bohemia while living in New York City. Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel must learn to cope with AIDS while also struggling to find happiness in the world. Maureen, ever the performing diva, struggles with infidelity and with her partner Joanne. And Mark, constantly behind his camera, never seems to be completely included in his friends’ lives.

The characters and story lines in Winston Churchill’s production of RENT: School Edition are very mature but the actors tackled them admirably. The cast seemed very dedicated in their character portrayals yet sometimes motivation and blocking seemed a little forced. However, the cast’s exceptional singing abilities really elevated the show. From large group numbers to duets, each character harmonized well and also displayed good range.

Josh Kaufmann, who portrayed artsy and adorable Mark Cohen, struck a nice balance between realistically conveying the character and also being aware of the audience’s presence. His bright energy and chemistry with the cast anchored the show. Sonya Lilienstein‘s stage presence was formidable as Maureen Johnson. Her expressive rendition of “Over the Moon” was captivating and her vocals had a unique and enjoyable Janis Joplin-like quality. Josh Simon handled his character, Angel Dumott Schunard, with maturity and understanding, along with a hefty dash of pizazz! Despite the difficult subject matter, Simon came across as genuine and touching.

As Tom Collins, Josh Coyne‘s deep and resonant voice glided smoothly over every note. His singing effectively captured his emotion, which was particularly powerful in the “I’ll Cover You Reprise.” Another vocal standout was Shelby Sykes, whose impressive range and great technical control was highlighted in the song “Seasons of Love.” Her singing had a beautiful tone and was also full of heart.

The props and effects, done by Lindsay Horikoshi, Nina Katz, and Stasia Emmanuelidis, added another dimension to the stage, making for a more believable atmosphere. The faux snow and fog were very nice touches. The RENT Band tackled the syncopated rock music very well and utilized different dynamics expressively. The Band balanced nicely with the cast’s singing.

So here’s to days of inspiration, to going against the grain, going insane, going mad-with love for Churchill’s performance of RENT. La vie boheme!

RENT: The School Edition will be performed again this weekend on October 31st and November 1st at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it.

by Katie Stolp of James Madison High School

Shakespeare’s been dead for almost 400 years, and Cole Porter for about 50, yet last night at Winston Churchill High School, an energetic cast brought them back to life onstage with Porter’s hit musical Kiss Me, Kate. Based on Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew,” Kate won five Tony awards on its Broadway opening in 1949.

The show concerns a divorced couple – actress Lilli Vanessi (Shelby Sykes) and actor/producer Fred Graham (Adam Pelta-Pauls) – attempting to play opposite one another in a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Shrew. In the meantime, ditzy singer Lois Lane (Ashley Austin) makes advances to every man onstage, including Bill Calhoun (Matt Sartucci), who has surreptitiously gambled away ten thousand dollars under Graham’s name. Numerous complications ensue, peppered with all-cast dance numbers and scenes from the play-within-a-play.

Kiss Me, Kate requires a pair of skillful singer-actors in the roles of Lilli and Fred, and Sykes and Pelta-Pauls proved up to the challenge. Deftly balancing dry wit and emotional depth, Pelta-Pauls displayed stage presence in such numbers as “Where Is The Life That Late I Led?” His slick baritone complemented Sykes’ operatic soprano nicely. Sykes herself expressed Lilli’s forcefulness well, especially in the witty ballad “I Hate Men.” A pleasing foil to the lead couple was the flirtatious Austin, properly perky in her role and commanding a jazzy belt voice.

Also impressive were the Two Men (Casey Stein and Steven Rigaux), a pair of gamblers come to collect the debt that supposedly is Graham’s. Stein and Rigaux worked well together, milking New York accents for all they were worth in the audience favorite “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” Another highlight in the show was the choreography (by Emma Sorenson and Evan Howard); in the show-stopper “Tom, Dick or Harry,” Howard carried off his own difficult steps with aplomb. Though some of the ensemble numbers showed occasional missed steps and lack of synchronization, the dancing as a whole was extremely high-level and certainly well-executed. And Porter’s vocally taxing score, despite some off-pitch notes, was performed nicely by Churchill’s cast.

Churchill’s orchestra was truly excellent, handling stylistically varied sounds – from Renaissance to Broadway to jazz – expertly. Though every so often the actors were overpowered, partly because of a somewhat sporadic sound system, the musicians showed great skill.

Based on Shakespeare and boasting a demanding Cole Porter score, Kiss Me, Kate is hard to mount properly – but Churchill gave the audience a Kate worth kissing.

by Sarah Marx of Homeschool