Review by Tiffany Markman
Johannesburg - A high school musical is supposed to be a romp. Loud, fun, funny – and if the teenage cast can actually act, sing and dance, that’s a win. But Redhill High School has changed the game. From this institution, we’ve now come to expect top-quality musical theatre shows that just happen to feature high-schoolers.
With Chicago you’d easily forget you’re in a school hall, thanks to production design by industry veterans Denis Hutchinson and Dr Sarah Roberts and an orchestra led by the fantastic Rudi Olivier, who heads Campus Music at Redhill.
The original Chicago is set in the 1920s, but director Joseph Gerassi decided to relocate it to 2023, complete with social media, influencer culture and paparazzi. While this might have appeared gimmicky in less capable directorial hands, it works beautifully in practice … complemented by clever IT, lighting, sound design and props.
It is a rare pleasure to experience a high school play centred on strong female characters and a rarer pleasure to encounter talents like those of Enhle Gasa (Velma Kelly) and Nyasha Manda (Roxie Hart). These girls can really, really sing and both are performers beyond their years. What’s more, they make it look easy and they make it look fun, which is a delicious treat for any audience. Look out for exquisite harmonies on “Cell Block Tango” and “My Own Best Friend”.
Matthew Spira owned his portrayal of Billy Flynn, delivering some serious comic timing, a fantastically expressive face, and a confident yet nuanced performance. His masterful leadership, alongside Manda/Roxie, of the ensemble’s “We Both Reach For The Gun” is an absolute highlight. I’d watch it again and again.
Other notable performances include Benjamin Harrison’s downcast Amos Hart (what a voice!), Giana Govender’s OTT Mary Sunshine complete with two epic costumes, and Vongai Dhliwayo’s sassy, bossy Mama Morton. Lovely acting from Vongai.
Although not set in the round, Chicago invites the audience in, with some audience members seated at cocktail tables and others in sectioned seating areas spread across the hall.
Everyone is able to see everyone else, which makes the polish of the ensemble so noticeable. I was also wowed by the slick blocking (well done, choreographers!), given that a relatively small stage houses a large, active cast.
Bottom line? Chicago is a highly entertaining spectacle. There is razzle-dazzle, yes, but the messages are clever, the staging excellent and the delivery rock-solid. This is a quality show.