{"id":209065,"date":"2026-03-28T00:24:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T00:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/209065\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T00:24:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T00:24:17","slug":"samantha-jean-maries-set-design-enables-lehigh-senior-highs-talented-actors-to-strut-their-stuff-in-chicago-wgcu-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/209065\/","title":{"rendered":"Samantha Jean-Marie’s set design enables Lehigh Senior High’s talented actors to strut their stuff in ‘Chicago’ | WGCU News"},"content":{"rendered":"

I know a whoopee spot where the gin is cold and the piano\u2019s hot \u2026 and all that jazz. It\u2019s Lehigh Senior High Center for the Arts Auditorium, where they\u2019re performing \u201cChicago Teen Edition.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a paint-the-town jazz extravaganza perfectly suited to Artistic Director Miguel Cintron\u2019s triple-threat theater students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI choose each show based on the kids that I have, and we have powerhouse female performers,\u201d said Cintron.<\/p>\n

But Cintron had an ulterior motive.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, I chose Chicago,\u2019 honestly, because I know that it’s kind of like a gift to my choreographer, my little sis, Lauren Gomez,\u201d Cintron added. \u201cShe’s the choreographer here, and she’s always wanted to do it. And so that was just my little gift to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also turned out to be a gift for senior Samantha Jean-Marie.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a competition, it’s called SWIFTS \u2014 it’s Southwest Florida Theatrical Society \u2014 and one of the things that you could enter is a scenic design,\u201d noted Jean-Marie. \u201cAnd I chose \u2018Chicago\u2019 because I knew I was going to be stage managing it, so I was like, I’d kill two birds with one stone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cintron told her he envisioned a jazzy, 1920s speakeasy vibe, so to razzle dazzle him, and her SWIFTS adjudicators, she went all out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI researched specifically like the architect[ure] in Chicago in the 1920s, like the Chicagoan brick, the type of the fire escapes, the type of steel that they used,\u201d Jean-Marie said.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t use steel. But she did use lots and lots of lumber. That\u2019s because she and Cintron put the show\u2019s 14-piece orchestra on a second story overlooking the stage.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Chicago is very dance heavy, right?\u201d she said. \u201cSo, [to] utilize the stage wisely, all the blocking, I wanted to make sure that they were elevated. It gives the actors more space and room and opportunity to express themselves without having to look away for the other band members.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jean-Marie didn\u2019t just tell Cintron what she had in mind. She handed him a sketch, a scale model and a blueprint to guide the set builders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a bit tricky because I had to kind of like make sure that the band \u2026 on the upper level \u2026 they’re safe, they’re secure, but \u2026 also still keeping in mind that I wanted to go for a jazz, cabaret, Chicagoan look,\u201d Jean-Marie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s all student-built,\u201d Cintron said. \u201cIt’s part of the learning process. Yes, I teach them how to use all the tools. They paint everything. We do it all together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Scene<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Taylor Spurr (center) in role of Velma Kelly leads dancers in “All That Jazz’ opening number of ‘Chicago’ at Lehigh Senior High.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s the set that uniquely enables Cintron\u2019s cast to show off their acting, dancing and vocal skills in such sizzling Fosse-inspired numbers as \u201cCell Block Tango\u201d featuring Taylor Spurr in the role of Velma Kelly.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

The merry murderesses perform ‘Cell Block Tango’ in ‘Chicago.’ <\/p>\n

\u201cShe’s a senior,\u201d Cintron said. \u201cShe actually won best actress in a musical last year, and she’s extremely talented. She’s going on to study musical theater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Junior<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Junior Adela Rodriguez Gonzalez plays Roxie Hart for Lehigh Senior High in ‘Chicago.’ <\/p>\n

Also taking full advantage of Jean-Marie\u2019s set design is Adela Rodriguez in the role of Roxie Hart.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe’s a junior,\u201d Cintron said. \u201cShe’s a dancer and actor, a vocalist, very talented \u2026 This is her first lead, a real big lead this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Victor Galarza plays lawyer Billy Flynn. <\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the big bamboozaler, the ringmaster himself, Billy Flynn.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso a senior,\u201d Cintron said. \u201cHe was runner-up last year for Best Actor \u2026 This year he’s playing Billy Flynn. His name’s Victor Galarza.\u201d<\/p>\n

This splendiferous production of \u201cChicago\u201d has lots of flash and razzle dazzle.<\/p>\n

\"Alexa<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Alexa Rodriguez Gonzalez and Victor Galarza play puppet and puppeteer in scene from ‘Chicago.’ <\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n

Plot, characters and theme<\/p>\n

Chicago holds the distinction of being the longest running American musical in Broadway history. It features a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb.<\/p>\n

The Lightning Theatre Company\/Lehigh Senior High School of the Arts\u2019 production features show-stopping songs, spectacular choreography, skimpy costumes and Samantha Jean-Marie\u2019s splendiferous set. With songs and libretto that are still timely, groundbreaking choreography that pays homage to the great Bob Fosse, and a couple of powerful female leads who can both sing and dance, this musical has it all.<\/p>\n

\"Alexa<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Alexa Rodriguez Gonzalez as vaudeville wannabe Roxie Hart in ‘Chicago.’ <\/p>\n

The musical is based on true, headline-grabbing murders and their corresponding trials that took place in Chicago in the 1920s. One murderous thread follows an aspiring vaudevillian by the name of Roxie Hart (Adela Rodriguez Gonzalez) who is arrested for murdering her extramarital lover. The other focuses on Velma Kelly (Taylor Spurr), a nightclub entertainer and double-murderess whom Roxie meets in jail. Unaccustomed to sharing the spotlight with anyone, Velma does not take well to being upstaged by the spoiled, self-absorbed newcomer. Simmering emotion boils over when the feisty vixens fight for the spotlight after hiring the same cold-blooded criminal defense attorney, Billy Flynn (Victor Galarza). To win the girls\u2019 freedom, Flynn foments a media frenzy. In the process, these femme fatales are catapulted to showbiz stardom with each vying for top billing.<\/p>\n

With themes involving narcissism, loyalty, betrayal, a broken criminal justice system and manipulating the press, \u201cChicago\u201d may be even more relevant today than it was when it was written in 1975. Songs like \u201cAll That Jazz,\u201d \u201cCell Block Tango\u201d and \u201cRazzle Dazzle\u201d reflect the current political gestalt with startling accuracy, while the rest of the show\u2019s standards resonate across the board with Millennials to Boomers.<\/p>\n

Not to be overlooked are the gender equality issues implicit in the play.<\/p>\n

Roxie, Velma and the women in \u201cCell Block Tango\u201d want to be empowered. They want to be acknowledged as equals with their male counterparts, to be seen as possessing worth and importance sui juris and independent of their fathers, husbands and the other men in their lives. Cut to Roxie, who sings, \u201cFrom just some dumb mechanic\u2019s wife, I\u2019m gonna be Roxie.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it is the dancing that ties everything together with the panache of a flamboyant red velvet Christmas bow. It doesn\u2019t just amplify the story\u2019s sexy, sordid appeal. It adds an exclamation point to the public\u2019s love affair with sensationalized characters who thumb their noses at social expectation, mores and the rule of law.<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Taylor Spurr as Velma Kelly in ‘I Can’t Do It Alone’ in ‘Chicago.’ <\/p>\n

Taylor Spurr is Velma Kelly<\/p>\n

Taylor Spurr takes on the role of Velma Kelly, the vampy assassin who is looking to capitalize on her fame to reclaim her star status. Spurr plays the role in the tradition of Bebe Neuwirth and Catherine Zeta-Jones, employing a blend of stylized jazz movements, precision gestures and theatrical flair.<\/p>\n

Spurr is unfazed by the inevitable comparisons to Neuwirth, Zeta-Jones, Chita Rivera, who originated the role, and locally to Amy Marie McCleary, who portrayed Velma Kelly in Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre\u2019s 2018 production of the musical.<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Taylor Spurr as Velma Kelly in ‘I Can’t Do It Alone’ in ‘Chicago.’<\/p>\n

\u201c[The role] is iconic for a reason,\u201d she shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s fun. Very fun. I wouldn\u2019t even say that it\u2019s all that stressful. It\u2019s really fun \u2014 and it\u2019s nice that I don\u2019t have to be on [stage] the whole show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Taylor Spurr as Velma Kelly in ‘I Can’t Do It Alone’ in ‘Chicago.’<\/p>\n

Last year, Spurr won the award for Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identifying Role for her portrayal of Eurydice in Lehigh Senior High School\u2019s production of \u201cHadestown Teen Edition.\u201d Based on that performance and her acquittal of her current role, she is destined for a bright future in musical theater. To further her career objectives, she will be pursuing a four-year degree in musical theater and is currently in the application\/audition process.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

The audience loves Roxie Hart (Adela Rodriguez Gonzalez) and she loves them for loving her. <\/p>\n

Adela Rodriguez Gonzalez is Roxie Hart<\/p>\n

For Adela Rodriguez Gonzalez, Roxie Hart is a dream come true.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, this has been one of my dream roles for a really long time, so it really is such an honor,\u201d she said following rehearsal. \u201cIt’s just so exciting to get to take over such an iconic role that everybody really knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rodriguez Gonzalez\u2019s character is caught in a love triangle. Not the classic love triangle, but one in which she, Velma and their attorney, Billy Flynn, are all in love with the same thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love fame. Fame and money and power,\u201d Rodriguez Gonzalez proclaimed. Roxie, in particular, will do whatever it takes to see her name in lights.<\/p>\n

The name on everybody’s lips is gonna be Roxie
The lady rakin’ in the chips is gonna be Roxie
I’m gonna be a celebrity, that means somebody everyone knows
They’re gonna recognize my eyes, my hair, my teeth, my boobs, my nose<\/p>\n

\"Adela<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Adela Rodriguez Gonzalez as ‘Roxie Hart’ in ‘Me and My Baby’ in Lehigh Senior High’s production of ‘Chicago.’ <\/p>\n

Rodriguez Gonzalez comes from a competitive dance background. In \u201cChicago,\u201d she displays all the right moves. The junior plans to continue acting, singing and dancing next year and then moving on to pursue a BFA in musical theater with a minor in teaching and early education at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what better way to share my love and my knowledge for this art than to pass it on to the next generation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Victor Galarza razzle dazzles as Billy Flynn in ‘Chicago.’ <\/p>\n

Victor Galarza is Billy Flynn<\/p>\n

Billy Flynn is an unapologetic narcissist. He says several times that he does it all for love, but what he loves is the spotlight, the fame, the power, the prestige.<\/p>\n

Galarza is Flynn\u2019s polar opposite. When asked to name his favorite number in the show, he didn\u2019t pick one of his own. Instead in named \u201cWhen Velma Takes the Stand\u201d featuring Taylor Spurr.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m usually sitting in the corner watching her,\u201d he said. \u201cTaylor is just very good at acting and dancing and all the other things that she does, so I\u2019m watching all the cool things that she’s doing. She has truly made it like she’s Velma, you know. That’s what I really admire about Taylor as well. I wish to be like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Flynn, Galarza hits all the right notes. In fact, in \u201cWe Both Reached for the Gun\u201d he carries a G4 note for 40, 50 seconds.<\/p>\n

“That one, that one is always a very scary one for me because I have to make sure I have my breath, that I take a huge breath of air to hold it as long as possible,\u201d Galarza said. \u201cI kind of make it like a challenge to see how long I can hold it each time. Sometimes it\u2019s longer. Sometimes it gets a little shorter. But I always want to make sure that I have that breath support. As long as I have that breath support, it doesn’t really matter how long I hold that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the character is inevitably associated with \u201cRazzle Dazzle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Give ’em the old double whammy, daze and dizzy ’em
Back since the days of old Methuselah
Everyone loves the big bamboozler
Give ’em the old three-ring circus, stun and stagger ’em
When you’re in trouble, go into your dance
Though you are stiffer than a girder
They’ll let you get away with murder
Razzle dazzle ’em and you’ve got a romance<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one is a is a super fun number for me because I’m essentially a ringmaster in a circus,\u201d said Galarza. \u201cIt’s a very repetitive song if you listen to it, but you can make it so entertainable by changing the way you say things. The way you say something can change exactly how it comes out, plus facial expressions and what we’re doing all around is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s referring to dances in long gowns and tumblers doing flips, splits and cartwheels across the stage. The number requires good communication between Galarza and the dancers and split-second timing for some of their passes.<\/p>\n

Galarza says having a live band helps immensely with this and the show\u2019s other musical numbers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love having the band there. It’s so good because we can hear it right behind us,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s so much easier than it would be if we were singing to tracks and monitors. And the orchestra is doing such a great job. I know them personally because I’ve been in band myself. But it’s so cool to see how much everyone has grown and how well they can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s equally impressed with the level of chemistry the entire cast and crew have developed over the course of their rehearsal process.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s like we’re a whole big family and that’s what’s so great here at Lehigh Senior. We’re all one big family. We love each other. We care for each other. We’re making sure that we have each other’s backs and I really truly love that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Galarza is headed to Florida Gulf Coast University in the fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy plans are to go for a vocal performance degree at FGCU and in some way, I want to keep doing acting and keep singing,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to I want to keep doing this because of my love for acting and performing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Adela<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Adela Rodriguez Gonzalez and Taylor Spurr razzle dazzle as the splendiferous Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly. <\/p>\n

More on Miguel Cintron<\/p>\n

Cintron has been theater director at Lehigh Senior High School of the Arts since 2018. The program includes theater, vocals, dance, band and orchestra.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a rigorous program,\u201d Cintron said. \u201cI teach theater all day, different types of theater, Acting 1 through 4. I teach stagecraft. I teach technical theater. I teach musical theater alongside Miss Fullerton, who is our vocal director as well. So, it’s very rigorous, and we do five to six shows a year, a a play and at least three musicals, one being a children’s show, which was \u2018Beetlejuice\u2019 this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lehigh Senior does a main stage musical in the fall and another mainstage musical in the spring. That\u2019s typically the show they enter in the High School Musical Theatre Awards competition.<\/p>\n

At last year\u2019s High School Musical Theatre Awards, Lehigh\u2019s production of \u201cHadestown Teen Edition\u201d was named Best Overall Production of a Musical and took top honors for Technical Achievement, Vocal Execution, Outstanding Ensemble and Orchestra, and was runner-up for Choreography. Lehigh also took three of the four best actor awards.<\/p>\n

Lehigh performed \u201cHadestown\u201d to a recorded soundtrack. This year, the school\u2019s new band director, Dr. John Leonard, surprised Cintron by telling him they\u2019d be able to perform live for \u201cChicago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we were going to have to use a recording of the show,\u201d said Cintron. \u201cI didn’t want to put that on a new person and I also didn’t know that we had the students to play in the orchestra. Thankfully, he was all for it. He’s done Chicago before and so he was excited about teaching the kids the show. He’s been rehearsing with the orchestra since February.\u201d<\/p>\n

A live orchestra makes a huge difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s just so much more energy when there’s an orchestra on stage,\u201d Cintron related.
\u201cThere’s just a different feeling, a different sound. [The cast] can still do a great job with the recording. We had to perform our Renaissance show with tracks. The energy was just so different. It was completely different. It was still good, but nothing like having the band on stage. When the band is up there playing, that sound, the vibration of the stage, it’s so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"And<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

And ‘All That Jazz’<\/p>\n

Miguel Cintron is an accomplished actor and musician in his own right. He\u2019s starred in such shows as \u201cGutenberg,\u201d \u201cAn Act of God,\u201d in which he plays the Almighty, and \u201cThe Gun Show,\u201d which is a one-man two-hour tour de force. Other credits include Robert and Thomas In \u201cThe Play That Goes Wrong,\u201d Usman in \u201cThe Chechens\u201d for the Alliance for the Arts, Palomo in \u201cAnna in the Tropics,\u201d Yvan in Yasmina Reza\u2019s \u201cArt,\u201d as well as roles in \u201cWomen in Jeopardy,\u201d \u201cMy First Time,\u201d \u201cDomestic Tranquility,\u201d \u201cShipwrecked,\u201d \u201cTower of Magic,\u201d \u201cShakespeare Abridged,\u201d \u201cThe Bible Abridged\u201d and \u201cArt of Murder,\u201d all for Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance.<\/p>\n

Cintron has also performed at The Herb Strauss Theatre, The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre and the Florida Repertory Theatre. Some of his favorite shows are \u201cInto the Woods,\u201d \u201cSpamalot,\u201d \u201cDirty Rotten Scoundrels,\u201d \u201cLucky Stiff,\u201d \u201cRun for your Wife,\u201d \u201cJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,\u201d \u201cAladdin,\u201d \u201cBuddy\u201d and \u201cThe Fantastiks.\u201d
He has also worked as a standup comedian in Florida and New York.<\/p>\n

Support for WGCU\u2019s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I know a whoopee spot where the gin is cold and the piano\u2019s hot \u2026 and all that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":209066,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-209065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}