Queen’s College pupils took to the stage last night with a performance that left audiences in awe.
The audience, which included Molly Kirk, a reporter for the County Gazette, was equally impressed. She expressed her astonishment at the professionalism and energy of the performers:
“Each of these students absolutely took the stage by storm, both through their astounding singing voices and musical talents but also through their stage presence, characterisation, and dancing too.”
Molly Kirk also made a remarkable comparison between Queen’s College’s rendition and a professional production of the same play she had seen last year:
“When these students were on stage I found myself unable to look away and was truly shocked to see performances of that calibre delivered by students so young.”
“Coincidentally, I saw this play last year over summer performed professionally and truthfully there are many elements of the Queen’s College production of it that I preferred overall.”
Ian Trafford, Director of Performing Arts at Queen’s College, reflected on the energy and spectacle of the production:
“How can you top the epic success of last year’s senior musical ‘Les Miserables’? With a live jazz band absolutely swinging on stage, and a high-energy cast wearing more sequins than a night at ‘Strictly’! With its ‘Great Gatsby’ look and feel, CHICAGO is a feast for eyes and ears, with an absolute deluge of high-energy dance numbers and outrageous characters in a story from the 1920s about media manipulation and corruption that seems more relevant today than ever.”
The dual cast production has brought to life the iconic roles with dazzling performances:
“There are two teams of principals for this production and both Flora and Aria absolutely dazzle as Roxie, whilst Annabelle and Rebecca reveal themselves to be true ‘triple-threats’, singing, acting and dancing with amazing power as Velma. The two ‘merry murderesses’ lead a cast from Year 10 to 13 who have clearly embraced the hedonistic glamour of the Roaring Twenties in their performances.”
One of the most striking elements of the show is its live musical accompaniment:
It is really pleasing to see the live 10-piece band actually performing onstage with the cast; it’s truly inspiring to see so many skilled artists working together to create a show that leaves the audience absolutely buzzing. The audience will be worn out just watching all the singing and dancing, so it’s a good job our fantastic team from The Roost has created some incredible cocktails, (and mocktails), to top off the party atmosphere!”
There are still tickets available for the remaining shows this weekend, and audiences are encouraged to witness the exceptional talent of Queen’s College Chicago for themselves!
