Page 2 - 2022-04-Chicago

DIRECTOR’S LETTER

Chicago is based off of the 1926 play written by Maurine Dallas Watkins (our fictional
Mary Sunshine). Watkins was the reporter assigned to cover the 1924 trials of
murderesses Belva Gaertner (Velma Kelly) and Beulah Annan (Roxie Hart).
Belva actually was a jazz singer, who confessed to the murder of her boyfriend, but
claimed that she did not remember the event. While Belva’s story is only slightly
changed, the fictional Roxie Hart’s story mirrors almost exactly that of Beulah’s real
life. Like Roxie, Beulah changed her story several times throughout the proceedings.
At one point she claimed “we both reached for the gun” and even faked a pregnancy
to gain sympathy from the jury. As in our musical, the real women meet on the
actual “Murderesses Row” in the Cook County Jail. Rumor has it that the pair set
up their own trial-styled beauty shop, helping other suspected murderesses ready
themselves for their day in court with the perfect outfit, complete with hair and
make-up. Both women also benefited from high powered attorneys, dramatized by
our charismatic Billy Flynn.

With the help of their lawyers and the non-stop sympathetic media coverage, they
succeeded in their mission and were both found to be innocent of their suspected
crimes. Between 1921 and 1930, the Chicago City Courthouse saw 186 women on trial
for the murder of their husbands or boyfriends. Of the 186 accused women, only 24
were convicted and only 12 served their full sentence. The city of Chicago seemed
baffled that women could commit such atrocities. The reporter/playwright Watkins
even went so far as to headline these women as “attractive jazz babies, corrupted by
liquor and men”.

While this musical tells a dramatized version of the truth, the story is
fundamentally about finding your own power. Amos finds his own power when he
finally walks away from Roxie. Billy’s power is in the constant changing of the city
and his ability to make the most of those changes. Mama uses her power to run
the jail to her benefit, while Roxie & Velma use their power to come out on top of
their legal troubles. Each of our students played a critical role in choosing their own
costume, hair & make-up for this show, a first for a Westlake musical production.
This was done in the hopes that they too would feel powerful and confident as their
respective character. The students have done an incredible job finding power in
themselves and their own individual contributions in this production. I am so proud
of them all!

Thank you for attending and supporting our program. I invite you to step into our
world of jazz, vaudeville, deception and self-made power. I ask that you give your
time and attention to these 100 incredibly talented high school students who have
given their time, dedication and considerable talents to this production. The work
these students did has been exceptional and it has been my distinct pleasure to be
their director!

Enjoy the show!

Jennifer Yachanin-Butler
Director of Choral Music / Demon Drama Club Advisor