REVIEW: Chicago Teen Edition - Sky Youth Theatre

Chicago: Teen Edition

Presented by: Sky Youth Theatre

Director: Tahnee Svensk

Creative Director: Shelley Wilson

Music Director: Cyndi Braeuer

Choreographer: Jade Wilson

Sound: Tim Pitchford

Lighting: TLD Event Creation

Costumes: Shelley Wilson, Jess Middler

Prop Design: Shelley Wilson, Tahnee Svensk

Hair and Makeup: Bek Evans, Jess Middler, Krystle Brant

Photography: Alex Darvell

I don't know who looked at Chicago and thought, “Yes, let’s give that to a youth theatre!” but after seeing Sky Youth Theatre’s Chicago: Teen Edition, I understood the logic. Because if you've got a troupe of young performers who can dance like this, you might as well give them something to perform with bite!

Chicago: Teen Edition is a specially adapted version of the Kander and Ebb musical, tailored for teen performers while keeping most of the story, music, and Bob Fosse style intact. Directed by Tahnee Svensk, with Shelley Wilson as Creative Director, Cyndi Braeuer as Music Director, and choreography by Jade Wilson, this production knew what its cast could do and gave them room to do it.

Robina Community Centre is quite expansive. The team used the stage, floor, platforms, and cabaret tables to integrate the entire room into the show. I especially liked the spotlighted dancer moments during "All That Jazz", like little glitzy flashes popping up around the room. It gave us in the audience the sense that we had wandered into a dangerous vaudeville club, feeling slightly complicit from our seats.

The role of Velma Kelly was shared by Zahli West and Jessica Turnbull, with West performing the day I attended. She had a still, watchful quality perfect for Velma, using her lower register effectively, speaking confidently, and showcasing impressive acrobatic moves. She gave Velma the cool attitude and self-assuredness the role needs. Her voice also deserves high praise, especially considering how much movement she had to get through. Pulling off I" Can't Do It Alone" while dancing, kicking, cartwheeling, and pretending none of it is hard is on another level. Yet she appeared completely at home in the choreography. I get out of breath just walking up the QPAC stairs, so I do not say that lightly.

As Roxie Hart, Alannah Maguire shared the role with Evie Edwards. I caught Maguire's performance, and she gave one of my favourite vocal performances of the show. Her rendition of "Funny Honey" showed off a gorgeous tone, with excellent clarity and control for her age. She also had some wonderful comic moments, particularly in "Both Reached for the Gun", where her puppet-like facial expressions were spot-on. There were moments where her dialogue could have slowed down slightly, and she was occasionally still finding full ease in the heels, but she had a voice that really cut through and that bright little spark Roxie needs. Roxie is basically theatre-kid with a murder charge, and Maguire understood the assignment.

Harrison Salter rocked the role of the smooth-talking Billy Flynn, shining extra bright in "Both Reached for the Gun". That number is a real juggling act of timing, vocals, character, and comedy, but he kept all those plates spinning, finishing with a terrific final belt. Kudos to his showgirls too for their killer heel work; their skill reflects their training, as ankles are delicate and the stage can be hazardous!

Xavier O’Brien brought a sweet face and beautiful voice to Amos Hart for "Mister Cellophane", with a natural warmth that suited the role. Minnie Bangay had great fun as Mama Morton, with her big belt, growl, and plenty of brass showcased in "When You're Good to Mama", making it clear who was in charge. Hayley Morris was lovely as Mary Sunshine, offering a delicate and steady soprano that gave the show a different vocal colour during "A Little Bit of Good".

The Merry Murderesses, Emily Stevens, Hannah Basile, Macey Whelan, Olivia Maslen, and Tilly Fraser, made "Cell Block Tango" into the show’s pièce de résistance. The staging worked well, the choreography had edge, and keeping the vocals going through that much movement is no small thing. I wanted just a little more fury behind the eyes, because these women are, after all, explaining murder through dance. That said, the number already had sizzling fire. Just a little more “he had it coming” rage and it would have really cooked.

There were some awesome staging ideas throughout the show. "Roxie" looked amazing, with Maguire rocking a gold flapper dress, lying on a revolving platform surrounded by mirrors, while four male performers framed the scene. Exactly the kind of ridiculous self-worship Roxie would approve of. The trial scene was genuinely hilarious, with the cast really embracing the absurdity. I also loved seeing the ensemble join in for "Hot Honey Rag." It turned the finale into a celebration for the whole cast, not just a final duet.

With double casting across the two leading roles, I saw Zahli West as Velma and Alannah Maguire as Roxie, and both gave performances worth celebrating. I have no doubt the alternate cast brought their own strengths to the roles too, which is one of the joys of youth theatre when double casting is used well.

What impressed me most about this cast was how well they moved. Many of them appeared to be dancers first, yet their vocal work was evidently well-trained. "Razzle Dazzle" had a lot going on, with sparkly b&w leotards, circus tricks, acrobatics, green/purple lighting, and a starry backdrop. The staging was exceptional, though it needed a little more vocal punch, as there were some breathier moments coming through from the ensemble on and off stage. A few dancers also slipped into "concentration face", which makes total sense with everything going on, but in Chicago, the face is very much part of the choreograph. Fosse is not just about dancing. The wrists are doing one thing, the hips are doing another, and the eyes need to be scheming too.

The more I watched, the more the choice of Chicago: Teen Edition made sense for this company. We all know youth theatre has an abundance of girls, and this show actually gave them something substantial to do. It gave space to featured ensemble moments, dance breaks, and character roles without forcing the cast into material that did not suit them. Even with the teen edits, this was still very much Chicago.

Visually, the production had plenty to enjoy too. The cell block set was clever and versatile, the music tracks were great, and the lighting by TLD Event Creation helped shape the mood of numbers, especially "Cell Block Tango" and "Razzle Dazzle." The costumes by Shelley Wilson and Jess Middler leaned into flapper shapes, sparkle, fringe, and darkness, while hair and makeup by Bek Evans, Jess Middler, and Krystle Brant gave the cast a cohesive and mature stage look. My one personal quibble was Roxie’s black prison ensemble, which looked beautiful on Alannah Maguire but felt less period-appropriate than the rest of the design. The lace and leather combo felt a little more like clubbing in 2010 than vaudeville vixen to me (sorry!)

There were only a few technical bumps, including some missed mic cues and occasional offstage whispering that carried into the audience. Still, what I kept coming back to was the confidence. These young performers tackled a show that asks for stamina, timing, comedy, bold vocals, American accents, heels, and Fosse moves, often all at once. They also did it while working with tracks rather than a live conductor, which takes real focus. Because the track is going where the track is going, and you either keep up or get left behind in jazz jail.

Sky Youth Theatre’s Chicago: Teen Edition gave the dancers room to move, the singers room to show off, and the ensemble plenty to do beyond simply filling the stage. For a youth production, this was no tentative little razzle dazzle. It had scale, humour, attitude, and a whole lot of Fosse flair.