Wireless Mics and Projection for Chicago: Teen Edition

Show guide · Teen Edition · 19 named roles plus an SATB chorus · Reviewed by Stage Gear staff, October 2026

Stage Gear supplies wireless mics, rentals and projection to school and community theatres across the U.S. Our staff work in theatre; this guide is how we'd mic Chicago: Teen Edition.

Who gets a mic

We counted everyone who sings a solo or speaks over music: Velma, Roxie, Billy Flynn, Mama Morton, Amos, Mary Sunshine, the five other women in "Cell Block Tango" (Liz, Annie, June, Hunyak and Mona) and Sergeant Fogarty, who questions Roxie during "Funny Honey." Fred Casely is gone after the opening scene, so his pack moves to Go-To-Hell Kitty, who doesn't appear until Act Two. That is 13 mics plus 2 spares, for 15 channels.

Borderline: Martin Harrison, the Judge, the Court Clerk, Harry and Aaron. Their lines are mostly spoken without music under them, so area mics or a spare usually cover them. On a 12-channel budget, put the five Cell Block Tango women on area mics and stage their speeches at the stage edge. If one performer speaks the vaudeville-style announcements, give that voice a handheld or a wired mic in the wings rather than a body mic. Re-fit the shared Fred/Kitty pack at intermission and check it before Act Two.

Bigger budget: give Kitty and Martin Harrison their own packs, for about 17 channels. Coordinate frequencies with us before you go past 16.

Mic plot

Every Bodymic is wired for one transmitter family: Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, AKG, MiPro or Creative Audio. Build your Bodymics to match the packs you own. Cast Pack: every 4 Bodymics of the same style and capsule size earn a 5th free. This plot is a starting point; change any row to suit your cast.

The ensemble

The SATB chorus sings as reporters, inmates and the jury and backs most of the big numbers. Cover them with 2–3 area or choir mics along the stage edge, and stage group vocals downstage when you can. When a chorus member gets a featured line, as a reporter or one of the men named in a scene, move a spare body mic to that performer instead of adding a channel.

Show notes from our team

• "Cell Block Tango". Six women speak monologues over a vamp while working chairs. Open each mic only for her speech, keep the others down, and check every pack and cable before the number.
• Hats, canes and chairs. Fosse-style moves with hats, canes and chairs catch mic cables. Run cables down the back, wear packs in snug belts at the small of the back, and rehearse hat tricks with mics on.
• Vaudeville announcements. The show frames numbers as vaudeville acts with spoken introductions. Decide early who speaks them and give that voice its own handheld or wired mic so it never fights a body mic.
• "We Both Reached for the Gun". Billy speaks and sings for Roxie while the reporters answer. Build a mixer scene that opens Billy, Roxie, Mary Sunshine and the chorus area mics together, and know who sings each line.

Projection

Chicago is usually staged with minimal scenery, so projection works best for the vaudeville framing: act titles, newspaper headlines, the jail and the courtroom. Most school auditoriums need 7,000–10,000 lumens with the right lens; smaller black boxes need less.

Our sister company Broadway Media makes Scenic Projections for Chicago: Teen Edition. Not sure which projector? Read Stage Projectors for Digital Scenery.

Rent it for the run, or own it

Buying for a school? U.S. public schools can pay by purchase order. How school ordering works.

Common questions

How many wireless mics does Chicago: Teen Edition need?

Plan on 15 channels: body mics for Velma, Roxie, Billy, Mama Morton, Amos, Mary Sunshine, the five other Cell Block Tango women and Sergeant Fogarty, one pack shared by Fred Casely and Kitty, plus 2 spares.

How do we mic the Chicago chorus?

Use 2–3 area or choir mics along the stage edge for the reporters, inmates and jury, and stage group singing downstage when you can. Move a spare body mic to anyone with a featured line.

Does every Cell Block Tango woman need her own mic?

Ideally yes, because each one speaks a monologue over music and area mics rarely pick up speech cleanly. On a tight budget, stage each speech at the stage edge and cover the five on area mics.

Can we rent mics just for our show week?

Yes. Stage Gear rentals run Monday to Monday around tech week, so you have mics for rehearsals and every performance. Systems arrive tested with return labels, and school purchase orders are welcome.

Stage Gear is not a show licensor. Chicago: Teen Edition is licensed through Concord Theatricals; production rights come from them. Stage Gear sells and rents the equipment. See you on stage!