Comment on McHenry High School students take on 'Chicago: The Musical'

McHenry West High School students have been dancing, singing and acting their hearts out to bring "Chicago" to their West Campus stage. Set amid the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, "Chicago" is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who kills her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer, Billy Flynn, to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids. The notorious musical is run entirely by students. “It is a completely student-led performance, where students are doing things they’ve never done before," producer Christine Purich said.