NiCori Teen Performance Ensemble Presents CHICAGO - The High School Edition

NiCori Studios & Productions will present CHICAGO - The High School Edition on Friday, January 25 at 6pm, Saturday, January 26 at 2pm and 5pm and Sunday, January 27 at 3pm at the United Way of Montclair.

Set in the "jazz hot" '20s, "CHICAGO - The High School Edition", the John Kander and Fred Ebb musical, whose 1975 Broadway premier featured the likes of "Cabaret" talent Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, tells the story of two rival vaudevillian murderesses, Roxie and Velma, who are both locked up in Cook County Jail. Velma, in for killing her husband and sister after finding them in bed together, and Roxie who has been locked up for shooting her lover, form the nexus of a plot rife with celebrity fame, skeevy lawyers and intense rivalry--making it a scintillating and infamous piece etched into the musical theater consciousness. The musical is often seen as the archetype of the musical genre, or what comes to mind when you think 'musical', "Chicago" is a production with an incredibly dramatic storyline, massive numbers, and all that jazz.

Based on Maureen Watkins' forgotten 1926 play, CHICAGO features two killers who escape the noose to sing and dance in Vaudeville. It offers a world where shadows of vintage Vaudeville stars like Sophie Tucker and Eddie Cantor become prototypes for Chicago's Mr. Cellophane and Mama Morton. The songs are sophisticated and sexy, poking a knife through the heart of a washed-up American Dream. CHICAGO first opened on Broadway 1975. The 1996 revival is still running.

The High School version tempers some of the adult language and themes in the original. NiCori's production of "CHICAGO - The High School Edition" features the NiCori Teen Performance Ensemble, comprised of talented actors, singers and dancers ages 13-17. The cast features Katherine Stelma (Bloomfield) and Grace Carlin (Bloomfield) as Velma Kelly, Emma Dean (South Orange) and Julia Resnick (Nutley) as Roxy Hart, Luke Surretsky (Nutley) as Billy Flynn, Aidan Carrol (Bloomfield) as Amos Hart, Shannon Bretz (Bloomfield) and Katherine Heyman (Bloomfield) as Mama Morton, Megan Moynahan (Bloomfield) as Mary Sunshine, Cecilia Mielnicki (Nutley), Elizabeth Nucci (Bloomfield) Jessica Arriaga (Bloomfield), Caroline Leonard (Maplewood), Mia Grossman (Bloomfield), Kiana Carbone (North Arlington), Ava Algeri (Nutley) as the Murderesses, Aaron Gutterman (West Caldwell) as Fred Casley, Annabella Cone (Rutherford), Brianna Santos (Belleville), Mia Campisi (Bloomfield) and Ava Rackowski (Lyndhurst) as featured dancers.

Tickets are $12 for students / senior citizens and $15 for adults in advance; $15 for students / senior citizens and $20 for adults at the door (Cash Only). Visit nicoristudios.com for tickets or more information.

NiCori will also be holding auditions for the Teen Performance Ensemble New Works Project on Wednesday, February 20, 2019, at 6:30pm. Open to students ages 12-19, this exciting program for teens is for the teen performer who is looking to hone their skills in all areas of Musical Theatre/Cabaret Performance. In addition to performing known works, NiCori will be commissioning playwrights and composers to send new and or lightly performed pieces for this exciting project to be premiered in New York City at Don't Tell Mama's Cabaret Room.

NiCori Kids Musical Theatre Ensemble is a class dedicated to the student ages 9-11 who loves Musical Theatre! NiCori Kids is a skills-building course that focuses on the core elements of musical theater (singing, movement, and acting) and this semester will also include Cabaret Performance. The class will culminate with a performance of a NiCori KIDS CABARET at the Oakeside Mansion on May 29th.

Registration has just opened for the NiCori Teen Performance Ensemble Summer Camp! This five-week (July 8 - August 11, 2019) intensive musical theatre experience is for teens ages 12 through 19 and explores all areas of play production. There is no audition required to participate in camp, however, students will audition for roles the first week of camp and will spend their days cultivating and creating their characters, long-lasting friendships, and a true understanding of the craft of musical theater performance. The camp will culminate in the performance of "The Addams Family - School Edition".

NiCori Studios & Productions is a welcoming environment for talented performers who are serious about learning the craft of theatre in a safe and respectful environment. NiCori's Artistic Director, Corinna Sowers Adler, is a four time Excellence in Theatre Education Tony Award Nominated Professional Singer/Actress.

All classes are held at the beautiful Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center, 240 Belleville Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ. For more information or to register, please visit www.nicoristudios.com.

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