Sequoyah Theater Dazzles with Chicago
Over a five-day run beginning April 17, Sequoyah Theater put on an incredible production of Chicago, a 1920s musical about sex and murder in the Windy City. The musical was a showcase of the strongest features of Sequoyah’s Arts Department: hard work, talented performers, and an obsessive attention to detail that made the play run flawlessly.
The cast began practicing at the beginning of the semester, right after the end of winter break. Choreographing the show was Corey Wright, a 13-year veteran of Chicago on Broadway. As theater teacher and director Arden Thomas put it, “He is an absolute expert. And so I was able to look to him as a mentor for me, and a guide through this iconic show. So my expectations were that it was going to be amazing.” Casting, too, yielded surprises, as underclassmen moved to center stage. As Cole Chang ’26, explained, “I didn't think I would really get Billy Flynn. I’ve normally been a side character. So getting one of the main characters was kind of baffling to me.” Thomas gave rave reviews for Cole’s performance: “He did an incredible job getting into that character.”
In total, the cast spent three-and-a-half months preparing, including the infamous “tech week.” As Chloe Zavistovski ’24, explained, “another way of referring to Tech Week is Hell Week… because it’s very grueling sometimes.”
“It was really, really tough” elaborated Zavistovski. “And it was hard on a lot of people.” At the same time, Zavistovski noted, “it's a lot of cast bonding.”
The show itself was incredible. Highlights included Zavistovski’s standout performance as Roxie Hart, a charismatic murderess and aspiring actress; senior Farrah Mackenzie’s understated yet moving tour-de-force performance as Hunyak, an accused killer executed for a crime she might not have committed; and Chang’s extravagant performance as Billy Flynn, an attorney with dubious ethics. Thomas gave a shout-out to junior Matthias Besch’s incredible performance as Amos Hart. As Thomas put it, “Mr. Cellophane [Amos’s central song] was a total mind blow. He was the best Mr. Cellophane I've ever seen. It was beautiful. He had such empathy on his face.”
Furthermore, the cast performed the show six times. Thomas was hugely impressed by all the performances, explaining “there wasn't a single dropped ball. It was unbelievable. They were that good. Every single night.” Zavistovski observed that “the best [show] was definitely the Saturday night because the audience was so enthusiastic.”
After the conclusion of the play, the cast attended a party at the Clairbourne School in San Gabriel. The party received rave reviews for its food and location, where the cast played hide-and-seek and “Among Us” in a mansion.
Next year, the Theater program again plans on producing two shows. This time, Thomas expressed enthusiasm about the new lighting designer and better support for the student actors. As she put it, “I keep needing to figure out ways to provide more support for the students and for me, so that we aren’t as exhausted. And it’s just that we’re so tired from being in there eight to ten hours a day. That is something I really do need to make sure that I continue to implement.”
I attended the final performance on Sunday at noon. It was astonishing. Every dance number was tightly choreographed, and the play was obviously thoroughly rehearsed and practiced. Not a single student missed a line or stumbled over their words. On-stage, perhaps the greatest attribute of the show was its acting: I gave shoutouts to the major stars of the show, but every actor – even the ensemble cast – absolutely crushed it. From Brendan Albert ’24 to Iliana Muller ’24, the dedication, practice, and talent of the cast was eminently apparent.
Finally, the crew – sound, lighting, and tech – went above and beyond. Atlas James ’25, operated the spotlight and smoothly and flawlessly tracked the leading actors on stage. Behind the scenes, America Rosales ’25, Charlotte Biancheri ’26, and Ethan Wong ’25, managed the sound and lighting. They hit every cue, and the overall effects were terrific.
