On the day I sat down to write this Director’s Note, I was wearing a shirt that a former student made for me. The shirt had a wild-eyed and yelling picture of me under the word “Justification.” The student made me the shirt because in Theatre Arts 1, I try to give my students freedom to create with the expectation that students can try outside-the-box ideas if the students could provide justification. Often, a student would ask, “Dr. Wooley can I…” to which I would reply, “Justification!” I wanted the students to understand that, to me, the creative process is about the “why.”
Sometimes art is transcendent and sometimes art is misunderstood, but neither of
those two experiences can prove if the art is good or bad. We try to make good art, but we cannot control how the art is perceived. We can control the “why.” So, why do Chicago: Teen Edition?
I like to joke that we chose the show because last year’s seniors wanted to do Chicago instead of Mamma Mia!, and the seniors before that wanted to do Mamma Mia! instead of 9 to 5, The Musical. (I’m not sure what this year’s seniors wished we were performing, but I wonder if it will be what we pick for next year’s show.) The real reason is not that diabolical. I have a trusted selection team who independently identifies shows that will meet our criteria, and we bring our lists together and see what aligns. This year’s clear winner was Chicago.
So why did I agree to produce this show? First of all, the students have requested the show for many years, not just last year’s seniors. It has wonderful music and dancing, and I am always looking for a show that can highlight those two elements.
But most importantly, Concord Theatricals released a Teen Version of the show that we could produce. We had great success with last year’s production of Mamma Mia!, and instead of finding another show in the upbeat jukebox genre, I wanted to take this year’s show in a completely different direction. The dark satire and social commentary of Chicago fit the bill perfectly, and since there was a Teen Edition, the students were able to delve into the gritty world of Chicago without some of the harsh edges in the original Broadway production.
I am very proud of the work that the students have put in this year, and their growth over the years continues to impress me. I am honored to work with these incredible students as they strive to continually hone their craft.
I hope you enjoy the show.
Tony
