The lights go on overhead, and the music goes up, the dancers start to move. The waiters are serving drinks and people are entering the nightclub. It could be a club in the city of Chicago, but this isn’t the real Chicago. Instead, it’s the Middletown High School stage, as the crew and cast run through the upcoming musical.

The performances for “Chicago, Teen Edition” will run on Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m.; Saturday April 20 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 21 at 2 p.m. 

The show starts with the famous nightclub scene of “All that Jazz”, where Velma Kelly, a performer who just murdered her husband and sister, performs. Later, Roxie Hart murders someone she was having an affair with and winds up in jail with Kelly. Hart and Kelly get the best lawyer in Chicago, Billy Flynn, to cover their trials. The murderers get much fame from their crimes. They both end up being declared innocent and becoming performers together. 

The MHS production is Teen Edition due to affairs, murder and adult concepts that take place in the Broadway version. The Teen Edition is modified to make it a friendly show, recommended for ages 11 and up.

The MHS drama department has provided opportunities for students in Middletown to perform, control lights and sound, and create costumes, props and sets. 

MHS senior Kate Hartinger is playing Velma Kelly. Hartinger loves that her character “loves to perform” just as she does. Hartinger said, “It’s a really fun show, great music and great dancing.”

Allison Beck, another MHS senior, is performing as Roxie Hart. Beck is “a huge fan of the music in Chicago.”

Beck said that people should come see the show. “We have put a lot of work into it,” she said. “We have a ton of people in it.”

MHS freshman Tristan Vail is performing as Amos Hart in the production. Vail joined the cast because he thought it would be “a big opportunity up for grabs.”

The actors and actresses, tech crew, directors and other crew members have been working hard on the show since February. The crew and cast have spent countless hours after school and on weekends working on building props, sets, costumes and working on pieces. 

“Tech crew and actors have all put a lot of work into this piece,” Vail said. 

Brandon Divita, playing the drum set in the pit orchestra said, “But it’s a lot of work and it takes a lot of time from the pit members to put the show and get the show all ready.”

The lights of Chicago will shine all week as the crew and cast start tech week and prepare for the upcoming shows.