WMC Rocks Chicago!
This past weekend, the WMC Theater Department rocked the spring musical, Chicago: Teen Edition starring Sophia Passaro as Velma Kelly, Olivia Budd as Roxie Hart, and Max Ruiter Lopez as Billy Flynn! The shows took place at 7pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with a matinee at 1 o’clock on Saturday. All four shows received incredible reactions from the audience and standing ovations. Collectively, the show was professional, captivating, humorous, “and all that jazz”.
Passaro wowed the crowd with her incredible performance as Velma Kelly. Her outstanding vocals paired with her technical precision in dance numbers created an essence of Broadway-level professionalism. The confidence exuded by her characterization of Velma matched and supported the overall extravagant tone of the musical. Her level of excellence was evident from the opening number “All That Jazz”, where her musical talent set the bar high for the continuation of the show. Her appearance in “Cell Block Tango” added a perfectly executed background for Velma, and showed Passaro’s ability to sell a character. It was clear to the audience that Passaro put lots of hard work and dedication into this role.
“Roxie Rocks Chicago”? More like Budd rocks the stage with her monumental representation of Roxie Hart. Her expressive dancing and comedic additions to each number were outstanding and blew the audience away. Budd simply had a confident aura and an amazing level of stage presence, which perfectly explains the Roxie Hart. Her appearance in “They Both Reached for the Gun” tied the number together with her puppet-like movements and facial expressions that left the crowd in fits of laughter. Her monologue accompanied by her solo “Roxie” was outstanding, showing the true charisma Budd has on the stage. It is clear that Olivia Budd was made to be in the spotlight.
Ruiter Lopez left the audience speechless with his charismatic and witty execution of Billy Flynn. His vocals were outstanding, leaving the crowd shocked with his level of professionalism. His melodious version of “All I Care About” partnered with his relaxed stage presence beautifully proved the level of excellence he brought to the performance. He owned the stage just as Billy Flynn would, perfectly presenting his own version of the character. Ruiter Lopez made the difficulty of “They Both Reached for the Gun” look easy with his comedic facial expressions and his confidence in the spotlight. Clearly, Ruiter Lopez’s work and commitment to this role paid off with this exciting portrayal of Billy Flynn.
Logan McFadden left the crowd awe-struck with his heartfelt rendition of Amos Hart. His unrequited love for Roxie reflected an image of struggle that everyone in the audience could relate to one way or another. His simply-performed version of “Mr. Cellophane” was hauntingly resonant with its contrast to the rest of the extravagant and glamorous scenes in the show, furthering the level of Amos’s loneliness to the audience. Despite the simplicity of the scene, McFadden’s vocals were anything but. His voice was powerful, memorable, and perfect for the role, leaving the crowd applauding him every night. The audience couldn’t help but laugh while also having a contrasting sorrowful feeling. McFadden was the perfect choice for Amos Hart, and he portrayed the character beautifully, easily becoming a fan favorite.
Mama Morton’s sass was shown perfectly by Gizelle Canales. Her voice possessed unmatched individuality and was incredibly beautiful, exactly how her character should sound in her solo number “When You’re Good to Mama.” Another beautiful voice was Lexi Bishop as Mary Sunshine. Her nosy and inquisitive yet gullible portrayal of the character added the perfect incorporation of comedy. Other humor was included from Max Jasper as Fred Casely, who was just the right amount of unhinged. His role induced peals of laughter from the audience every time he hit the stage. All these characters and perfect performances tied the show together and kept the audience at the edge of their seats.
By far, one of the best and most complex numbers was “Cell Block Tango.”This song featured Sophia Passaro, Kim Butynes, Violet Caruso, Lucy Mastrandrea, Anabelle Ortiz, and Ella VanCoevering. Each person had elite vocals and accurate dance moves, making the number truly satisfying and entertaining to watch. Ronan Fowler played six different men, and succeeded every time without fail. His movements were well studied and his acting was flawless. Every person in this number put hard work and devotion into their performances.
Overall, the show was phenomenal. From the dazzling performances to the well-crafted sets, the wow-factor was first-rate. The time, effort, and dedication put into this performance is obvious to anyone in the crowd. It was truly a treat to watch the fruits of every actor’s hard work blossom. If you were looking for a “whoopee spot” and a good time, West Morris Central’s Chicago: Teen Edition was the place to be.
