LITTLE CHUTE, Wis. (WFRV) – Little Chute High School Theater students have been working hard through the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s Center Stage Program for its upcoming production of “Chicago.”

“Chicago,” tells the story of an aspiring chorus girl and a fading star, each facing trial for murder. The two women compete for the services of a shady lawyer who promises to make them media celebrities and win them the trial.

Local 5 News caught up with the director of Little Chute High School’s theater program, Dan Van Eperan, who explained what he hopes the audience can take away from the production.

“I hope that the big takeaway for our audiences this year, especially those that have been supporting us for years now, is that this show represents a maturing in the evolution within our theater department,” said the Van Eperan.

Van Eperan continued to tell Local 5 News that the theater department a couple of years ago didn’t have the confidence to perform such a difficult subject matter at the high school level, but now, through some challenges, they feel ready not just to perform it but perform it at a high level.

While the show is considered dance-heavy, Van Eperan says he’s had to challenge students to get out of their comfort zone and show off moves they never knew they had.

“I have really asked a lot of these kids in terms of putting in the extra time and effort to elevate their dancing abilities,” said Van Eperan. “I am very proud of what we have accomplished through those efforts, and I hope our audiences appreciate the dance elements of this show in ways that they have not in the past.”

Being a part of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s Center Stage Program has been a huge benefit to Little Chute High School’s theater department by providing fun, unique, and educational opportunities for the students.

“Having the opportunity to work with some of the touring productions on various aspects of performance and technical direction has really provided a layer to the theatrical education of my students that I simply do not have the resources to provide for them on my own,” added Van Eperan.

Van Eperan continued to tell Local 5 News that since the inception of the Center Stage Program, the staff at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center has done a great job expanding the program to provide opportunities for the students to come together as a community with all of the theater kids in the Fox Valley, and ensure that the passion and dedication to prep theater in the area is being passed down from generation to generation.

Little Chute High School’s “Chicago” is set to debut on Thursday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. Additionally, there will be two other showings on Friday, November 10, at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 11, at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now for $10.00 for general admission, $7.00 for student admission, and $7.00 for senior admission. Officials say that the show will run around one hour and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. For more information on tickets, you can visit Little Chute High School’s website here.