When the lights dimmed inside Boulder High’s auditorium earlier this March, Troupe 60 took audiences back to the roaring jazz age. After the past three years of bright, family-friendly favorites (Mary Poppins, Big Fish, and Matilda), this year’s students delivered something just as colorful but far less innocent. What emerged onstage was a bold production that felt unlike anything this year’s seniors had done before, the perfect high school finale for this year’s graduating seniors.
By the time opening night arrived, Troupe 60 had already lived in the world of Chicago for months. Since January 6th, Boulder High students had rehearsed almost every day, others every day, trading free afternoons for choreography practice, vocal warm-ups, and tech rehearsals.
Chicago premiered on Broadway in 1975 with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book co-written by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The musical satirizes fame, corruption, and tabloid sensationalism (style of journalism) in 1920s Chicago through the stories of jazz murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, who schemed their way to celebrity. This year’s production of Chicago is the second staging since its last performance(s) in 2015.
Under the direction of Kelly Carmichael, Shelly Cox Robie, who handles blocking, acting, and overall vision, alongside choreographer Izzy (Izzo) Robie, pit orchestra conductor Beau Bryson, technical director Paul Mealy, and technical advisor Dave Beau, Boulder High’s Chicago pulsed with energy from March 5-7, with three evening performances and one matinee. This was no toned-down teen edition, as many high schools choose to avoid the adult themes. Instead, it leaned fully into the sharp satire, morally ambiguous characters, and Fosse’s provocative style.
This year’s two lead roles, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, were taken on by none other than senior Scarlett Caste and junior Lynley Sylvan. These two amazing and talented students poured their hearts into these roles. Scarlett Caste ‘26 brought Velma Kelly to life and called the role a “total dream.” Saying she loved playing this “sneaky performer and murderer”, it felt refreshing after being in Matilda the previous year. Lynley Sylvan ‘27 echoes this sentiment, saying she loved acting as an “adult this time after Matilda” and loved the show’s “more contrasting, sexy energy.” One of Caste’s favorite aspects of Chicago was that it was one of those “shows where there really is no hero, and there’s no villain.” Caste continues, “everyone is kind of a morally gray character, which I think is really fun to play with.”
Sylvan admits that she felt the pressure of such a big role, “As there’s no double casting or understudies, getting sick is not an option.” But what is performing arts without a little pressure? One of Sylvan’s favorite things was hearing the pit orchestra this year, which was incredibly well-staffed to say the least: “It felt like a mini concert each rehearsal, hearing all the jazz numbers, the music really brought the whole thing together.” Needless to say, this school year’s highlight for Lynley and Scarlett was definitely being a part of the production of Chicago.
Stage manager Jacqueline Shires ‘26, in her fourth year in crew and second year in stage management, saw Chicago as proof of the theater department’s range. “Chicago really demonstrated the versatility of our actors and our tech and pit orchestra,” she said. “It’s very heavy on choreography and the style of Fosse.”
Bob Fosse (1927–1987), the legendary American Broadway choreographer and director known for his distinctive jazz style shaped the show’s iconic movement. Theater remains to be one of Jacqueline Shires’s ‘26 favorite parts about the Boulder High community, “Stage management lets you connect with all of the crews and also the actors in a way that’s harder to do when you’re part of other crews.”
Stage management is no easy task; Shires estimates she spent roughly 270 hours on the show this year, including about 60 during tech weeks alone. “What the audience doesn’t see is what’s happening during tech week: the pre-tech work, cue-to-cues, and dress rehearsals, “sitzprobe” (where the cast and pit orchestra rehearse together for the first time), are all crucial aspects to nail down to make the show run smoothly. Shires notes that the biggest challenge was communication. “It’s hard to keep on the same page 24/7 with all the different crews, actors, and directors, but with cue-to-cues and rehearsals, we make sure everything’s ready for showtime.” Despite Shires’s demanding role, she excitedly said, “We have such talented, amazing people throughout Troupe 60,” she said. “Just getting to know everyone is the best part.” This year, Shires said, there were about 36 members in the cast and about 60 across the tech crews and pit orchestra.
Chicago brought Boulder High’s auditorium to life with humor and unmistakable flair. The production showcased the range and commitment of the entire troupe, marking a memorable finish to this year’s theater season.
