Chicago: Teen Edition is filled with athletic choreography (here by Maya Nellum, paying homage to Bob Fosse’s original imprint), a recurrent use of brassy belt voicings, and an emotional setting that leans heavily into Brechtian technique of distancing the audience from empathy with the characters. In short, this show is a test of connecting both to the audience and to the material. The students at The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts passed this test with enthusiasm, determination, and professionalism.
The musical tells a story of sex, infidelity, scandal, drugs, murder, jazz music, and the law. Roxie Hart kills her lover, gets her husband to cover for her, and upon arrival at jail discovers that there is an entire industry built up around helping girls like her not only get off free of their charges but also profit from their situation.
While the show focuses on the rivalry of the spoiled and brassy good-time girls Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly (well performed by Molly Egorin and Mayumi Gant, respectively), it was the characters of Matron Mama Morton (the matron of the women’s prison where Roxie and Velma are confined, solidly played by Bianca George) and Amos (Roxie Hart’s much put-upon husband, played by Cameron Best) that this viewer found especially effective. Best was particularly strong in the second act, in which he delivered his signature song, “Mr. Cellophane,” with sincerity and poignancy that was inescapable. Jesse Kliman was also effective as Billy Flynn, the corrupt attorney who would sell his mother if it won him the court case. The performances of the entire cast seemed to become more focused after the intermission as the show hurtled toward its conclusion.
The production is visually transporting, with action spilling over the edges of the stage, neon signs descending from the flies, and fog billowing in from the wings. The tech work was the achievement of apprentices from the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement (AICA), a year-long technical theater workforce development program run by The Theatre Lab in partnership with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Life Pieces to Masterpieces, and the DC Arts Education Alliance. It is eye-opening to consider how much the work of dedicated, under-the-radar training collaborations such as AICA has contributed (and, despite everything, continues to contribute) to establishing and maintaining Washington, DC, as the theater town that it has become.
The show’s wide-ranging music styles and textures were under the flexible direction of Lucia LaNave.
There are 35 teenage cast members in this show. That large cast was shepherded by director Evan Casey with additional collaborators Sayaka Yamamoto (assistant director), Justine Morris (stage manager), Shiloh Coleman (technical director), Kiefer Cure (audio engineer/sound supervisor), Ben Harvey (lighting designer), Angeli Novio (costumes), and Angelo Merenda (production manager).
Watching theater artists sharpen their craft by wrestling with the challenging masterworks of the field is inspiring and exciting for theater lovers. With Chicago: Teen Edition, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts successfully concludes its 2026 season of providing a local crucible for audiences and practitioners alike to grow.
Running Time: Approximately two hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Chicago: Teen Edition plays through August 8, 2026, presented by The Theatre Lab performing at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets (general, $20; students, $15) online.
Chicago: Teen Edition
Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse
Music by John Kander
Original Choreography by Bob Fosse
