Rauw Alejandro Gives Masterclass in Showmanship on Cosa Nuestra Tour: 5 Best Moments From His Chicago Show

Once you’re settled in your seat, you’ll want to scan a QR code that appears on the screen to get program for the night. It starts with Act 1: Trust No one, Love Anyway. The first act opens with a dramatic persecution of Italian mobsters, particularly the Sicilian Mafia, known as Cosa Nostra. Then, Rauw takes the stage dressed in a black suit, kicking off the show with “Punto 40.” We are introduced to Raúl, the main character, who is hanging out with a group of friends, a girl catches his eye, and so begins their love story.

In Act II: Leap of Faith, we meet María, who seems to be really into Raúl. They start dating, go on car rides, have a date at the billiards. Things are getting serious, but there’s something about Maria that isn’t too convincing. Act II is quickly followed by Act III: When the Lights Go Down where things get steamy. The scene opens with a shirtless Raúl in bed. Just as he thinks he’s got the girl, she runs away, leaving him devastated and feeling betrayed.

Lastly, Act IV: Between Love and War, this action-packed last act is not only the salsa portion of the evening, but where the story takes a turn. Will María and Raúl have a happy ending? That’s for us to know, and you to find out.

As expected, the setlist serves as the soundtrack to this musical experience. Rauw Alejandro doesn’t just sing the songs from his album Cosa Nuestra, he takes fans on a journey playing the the old stuff, the new stuff and everything in between. From “Punto 40” to “Tattoo,” “Mil Mujeres,” “Se Fue,” “Khe?,” “Tú Con Él,” “Todo De Ti” and “Committed.”

It’s important to note that Rauw is backed by a full seven-member live band that plays the bass, drums, percussions, piano, guitar, trumpet, trombone and sax, not something you see regularly with a reggaetón artist.

See the full setlist here.

“Why can’t that be me up there with him?” a girl sitting behind me said when Rauw Alejandro danced a mesmerizing salsa numer with one of his dancers. She probably spoke for everyone at that show. No one in Latin music is singing and dancing like Rauw is. And he’s not just doing dance moves here and there, he’s literally doing intricate and complex choreaograpohies from start to finish.

One special moment is when he sings his newest song “Carita Linda” and dances to the rhythm of bomba barrels (large drums used in bomba). Another is when he dances the salsa number with his co-star. It’s one of those moments that you have to capture with your phone.

“It looks like a wedding in here,” a concierge worker said while ringing up a few customers. He wasn’t wrong about that.

While there was some confusion initially as to which era Rauw Alejandro wanted to see fans dressed in, 1920s or 1960s, well, you get a little of both. But mainly, you’ll see women in long, ball gown dresses, feathers, and flapper-like outfits. Meanwhile, the men are more on the 60s side wearing slacks, some opting for a guayabera, keeping things a big more casual compared to the women.

Alberto from Chicago was there with a group of friends. He decided to not dress up too fancy and showed up in slacks and a rib knit-like shirt. “The dress code wasn’t confusing for me,” he told Billboard. “Personally, I just didn’t want to do too much. I got a couple ideas from TikTok for my outfit.”

Any good theatrical experience requires a good stage production, and Rauw Alejandro’s Cosa Nuestra musical is no exception. With creative director Adrian Martinez at the helm, we’re transported to Brooklyn in the 1960s through visuals of skyscrapers, brick buildings and props that turn the stage into a speakeasy or a salsa nightclub. Rauw’s live band is on the right and left side of the stage, with two large screens at each end as well. When there are no props onstage or scenes being acted out, Rauw fills the stage with his dancers, who usher in and out throughout the night.