I shot the show photos for Rochester Civic Theatre’s production of Chicago the Musical last weekend. We stayed to watch the show after the photos were done – my third time seeing it. I could happily sit through it again, except this is the final weekend and both remaining shows are sold out! The cast, crew, musicians, and all the folks who made it happen did a fabulous job. I’m a big fan of RCT, and I’m sure it shows in my posts here, but this show was truly phenomenal.
At intermission, we heard comments like, “This is like being in row ten at a Broadway show.” And this was from someone who knows Broadway. I heard folks say they can’t believe this is in Rochester. Believe it. And these weren’t professional actors brought in from elsewhere. These people live and work in and around Rochester, MN.
I knew I had to do my best to create images worthy of the production. It’s interesting to compare this shoot, where we stage the photos, to shooting at Riverland where I shoot live during a rehearsal. There are pluses and minuses to both methods. There is some amount of spontaneity lost in the staged shots, although good actors do their acting thing which makes up for a lot of such issues.
The faces of Amos and Roxie Hart are expressive and pull us in. Two fine actors. Amos’ hand reaching for Roxie, but tentative, not quite there. This says everything about their relationship.
On the other hand, we can tighten a group and help produce a more compelling still photo. We can ensure I’m able to capture a particular moment. When shooting live, I invariably miss things either looking the wrong way or standing in the wrong place. But the live shoot can show emotions that are as real as it gets in theatre. Either way, it’s fun to shoot and if I can produce a few stand-out photos, all the better.
Sean is a relatively recent find on the RCT stage, but he hit the ground running or maybe sprinting, appearing in every show last season and many this. I’m not sure where he gets his energy, but Chicago was a great showcase for his unique voice. I moved to the side to catch this shot of him with his MC microphone. It’s especially cool when the stage lighting provides a lighting pattern that’s essentially what I’d have used if I was lighting him.
Lisa, who’s face currently adorns my Facebook page, blew us away once again with her voice. She played Glinda in The Wizard of Oz. She’s had other singing roles since, but here she was able to really show off her instrument.
For several of the actors, this was something of a showcase. Audrey as Velma was remarkable. Audrey is a jazz singer, so you can imagine how well this suits her. (I recently recorded a video of Audrey singing by a bonfire at her own birthday party. You can get a small taste of her voice here.) Laura as Roxie made her RCT debut. Their duet in My Own Best Friend was unforgettable.
Sets were cool, costumes great, and the lighting I love to shoot. Blue and red gels. Guys dressed up like babies. What else could you want? Really!
Like others, Sean gave us a terrific performance as Amos, Mr. Cellophane. Some of the women cried, everyone identified with the poor naive fellow, soft spoken, loyal.
The strong colors in the show were interesting to deal with in the photos. I actually had to tone them down a touch partly because my Canon’s digital sensor really reacts to red light.
This shot says a lot about the production. First, look at the colors. The jail set is nearly monochromatic, the guard dressed in black and white. Stage lights are nearly all gel’d with something, but here the color from the lights is minimal. What stands out is Ellie as Hunyak with her bright red costume. What I’d consider a classic use of light and color in a photograph, and here it is on stage. The visual arts are more closely related than we’d sometimes believe.
Ellie crunched her foot with something earlier. Was it broken? I never heard, but she went on to perform, wincing only when she faced away from the audience. A professional performance by a volunteer actor.
I’m happy with my photos, and I hope you are. There are a few more on my Facebook page. I think tonight I’ll sit at home wishing I was at one of the final shows. And now, my exit music.
Um…
