Excitement was running rampant through the RHS auditorium as the audience prepared to watch “Chicago”, the fall musical presented by Rochester Alliance of Theatrical Students (RATS). The performance was filled with humor and appealed to the viewers greatly.

The performance was set in Chicago around the 1920’s, in a world full of greed and corruption. It was centered around Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart and their infamy in the city for murder. The two find an alliance in one another as they both attempt to escape their death through the increasing their fame. The musical was a roller coaster of excitement and suspense for the audience as the two main characters embarked on the journey to save their lives.  

The addition of the Hungarian character was a great asset of the play. It added a different view and made the overall production more interesting. The girl was an unexpected character and the foreign language emphasized the diversity of the play. Furthermore, the characters’ zest made the musical come to life. The lively music and frisky dancing engaged the audience into the humorous musical. Additionally, the costumes were great and went really well with the theme of the musical. They further portrayed the actors as the characters of the play.

Although the overall talent of the actors was phenomenal, the same person portraying several characters may have confused the audience at times. For example, one person would play a certain character in one scene, but then act as another in the scene immediately following it. This made the story hard to follow.

Overall, “Chicago” was a terrific performance. The music, lights and dancing were spectacular and the actors and actresses performed in such a way to capture the everyone’s attention for 2 hours.