Howe Sound Secondary thespians will soon hit the stage in Chicago: Teen Edition.
After months of preparation, about 48 students are involved in the production — a toned down teen version of the famous Roaring ’20s based play — which will include eight total shows over a two-week span starting on May 10 at 7 p.m. at the Eagle Eye Theatre in Squamish.
Tickets for the show are already on sale through Eventbrite and cost about $20. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door if the show does not sell out.
“It’s a fun show with a lot of ensemble, which is nice for a high school,” said Cameron Gillie, a Grade 11 student playing the iconic Roxie Hart, one of the main characters of the show.
Gillie said they’ve been preparing for the show since about October, so with the show around the corner the students do have a bit of nerves.
“Definitely got the pre-show jitters where you feel like nothing's going quite right, but I know we'll pull through in the end."
For Jaeda Willson-Rymer, who plays Velma Kelly, this show is the last hurrah as she will graduate in a few months and head off to Virginia Tech University in the fall, majoring in theatre.
“I’ve been doing acting … since elementary school,” Willson-Rymer said. “So, it’s scary now jumping into the world of arts and theatre, where it is truly just open competition, best of the best.”
Nevertheless, Willson-Rymer is looking forward to facing that fear.
“I’m moving on to that stage where I get to go to university and be with a group of like-minded people who really want to pursue this and take it really, really seriously.”
Howe Sound Secondary fine arts teacher Fran Booth is once again at the helm of the musical with the students and she is joined by Paula Johnson, who came to the school this year as a drama and dance teacher.
The shows are on May 10, 11, 12 and 13 as well as May 17, 18, 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. each night. For more information, visit Howe Sound Secondary’s website or the Eventbrite page.
