"Omigod!"

Caryn Ott-Hillman, Teen Director, COT for Teens

  This is the first song of the show LEGALLY BLONDE and I think it sums up this semester for Chicago Opera Theater @ Senn.  There were so many great things that occurred that helped this program continue to grow since starting this past summer.

   First off, I have never had so many students audition for this ASM's Chicago Opera Theater for Teens before.  Being that Senn is a Performing Arts School without a Musical Theater program, there are a plethora of students just chumping at the bit to get a chance to do musical.   With that, Dan Riley and I gathered the cream of the crop of students to put together the show LEGALLY BLONDE.  This show is a surprise favorite among young people now a days.  It is an empowering, self-discovery story decorated with a lot of pink fluff and sparkles.  

   The music is surprisingly challenging because of its contemporary sound and rhythm...but that did not stop Mr. Riley from pushing these teens.  Our cast totally stepped up to the plate and buckled down - I was so proud of them.

     For the dancing, I had a blast choreographing some hip hop moves to live up to all the high-energy music of the show.  The teens loved it the most when I asked them to slide on the floor in the song “So Much Better.” 

              

   This semester, we also collaborated with 2 other ASM programs.  The Sceneographers helped create our set back drops and Sullivan’s Improv performed with us when we went to their school to put on our show.  It is really a big eye-opening for our teens to see how other ASM classes function.  Plus, they can all appreciate other teens’ efforts in other areas.  I was so thankful to have our ASM program specialist – Sterling Goodrich – connect us with these other programs!

   It was such a fun show and the best, as always, is how they all come together in the last week or so because their focus is real.  They bond over the scary excitement of performing!  We are so lucky that we end each semester with the teens coming together as a unit - being proud of all their hard work!