DeKalb High School is excited to present its spring musical production of Chicago Teen Edition, which will take the stage from April 10-12, 2025, in the school’s auditorium. With music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Foss, this age-appropriate performance will showcase the talents of our students as they bring the high-energy world of jazz, crime, and glitz to life in a classic Broadway hit.
Inspired by Maurine Dallas Watkins’s 1926 play, Chicago is based on her coverage of two real-life murder trials she reported on as a Chicago Tribune journalist. The play and musical center around the trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, whose stories inspired the characters Roxie Hart (played by Anaya Aguilar-DeCleene) and Velma Kelly (played by Piper Schiola-Williams). Beulah, a housewife who killed her lover, and Belva, a cabaret singer who murdered her partner, were part of a wave of women accused of killing their husbands in 1920s Chicago. While the musical takes some creative liberties—Velma, for example, kills her husband and sister instead—both women claimed to have blacked out during the murders, adding an air of mystery to the story.
Set in the Roaring Twenties, Chicago explores the world of flappers, Prohibition, and notorious Chicago gangsters. Through a sensationalized court case, the musical delves into the lives of showgirls and women seeking fame or a way out of their mundane lives. These women were part of a larger trend: between 1919 and 1930, 186 women in Cook County alone were accused of murdering their husbands.
(Pictured left to right: 12th graders Hope Johnson, Piper Shiola-Williams, William Fontana, Anaya Aguilar-DeCleene, Maurice Mullen)
The musical also highlights the manipulation of the legal system, focusing on a slick lawyer (played by Will Fontana) who turns his murderous clients into media sensations. Chicago celebrates 1920s culture, particularly the rise of jazz and vaudeville, offering a captivating look at how crime, celebrity, and legal drama intersected in the Jazz Age.
Don’t miss this entertaining and provocative production of Chicago Teen Edition at DeKalb High School.
Show Dates:
- Thursday, April 10
- Friday, April 11
- Saturday, April 12
All show times at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available at the DeKalb High School box office or online at Chicago Teen Edition at DeKalb High School. Prices are $15 Adults, $10 Students/Seniors. Please note: Due to mature content, the show is not recommended for children under 12.
For more information, contact Angel Smith at 815-754-2120 or [email protected].