Written By: Mylo Ortega, Staff Writer
GRATIFYING: Fantastical storytelling, high notes, and extravagant dance numbers; RUSD presents Chicago.
After hundreds of students were stripped of the opportunity to perform in the RUSD honors musical due to the effects of COVID-19, RUSD has finally reinstated the experience. The program previously presented grand performances such as Romeo and Juliet (2018), A Chorus Line (2019), and Hairspray (2020). This year, the Honors Musical takes on Chicago: Teen Edition, a unique story of Velma Kelly (played by Kayla McCarty, sophomore at Ramona High School) and Roxie Hart (played by Emma Jackson, senior at North High School), who compete in a battle for fame and fortune by murdering a lover with the help of Billy Flynn, (played by Bryce Broadhurst, senior at Poly), a lawyer sought out by Matron Mama Morton (Jaiden Thompson a junior at Ramona).
Chicago represents various RUSD students in polished musical numbers that feature needy reporters and lust-filled dancers. These numbers are complemented with student lighting operators, stage managers, deck, prop handlers, and a live band. The work done by these high school students is exceptional, and allows the audience to take a glance at what such young people have the ability to create. Being on a stage as enormous as the one in Fox Theater is an experience that is nothing like anything most high school students have ever been a part of before. These dedicated performers were all hard-working and embraced the many days of rehearsals; some ended up working until 9:30 at night! The work put in by the students, in addition to their director, choreographer, customer, music director, and conductor (Michelle Grotness, Dominique Araiza-Claudwell, Maria Hong, Anna Hightower, and Janie Hilland) clearly paid off.
Like most good things, it came to an end. Still, Chicago was a spectacular performance put on by a variety of talented students and staff. Who knows what’s in store for next year’s honors musical!