This Homecoming and Family Weekend, the Plymouth State Theatre Department presented its annual Musical Theatre Showcase, an event held for the past few years as a fundraising event for Theatre student scholarships. Each year, the event continues to grow and expand, with more students participating and more songs being added to the program. This year was no exception, with all students putting on a great show.
Last year, the Music Theatre Showcase had a simple setup where performers sat onstage in chairs with their backs to the audience until it was their turn to sing. This year, under the direction of Charles Stanton and with the help of choreographer Michael Stoddard, the show has blossomed into a full-length feature of song and dance.
Both the opening and closing numbers were full-out singing and dancing, and the interaction between the singers eased transitions between the numbers to create one seamless performance. About three-quarters of the way through each piece, the next performer would come onstage; allowing for the two to connect and relate to one another before branching out into the next song.
Another positive change for this year’s performance was how the performance was organized by show. There were enough performers involved to have at least two songs, and often times more from each show, further allowing the connection betwixt the performers to grow. Last year, the songs were each their own entity, and while that worked well and the show was performed cleanly, this year the show was vastly more entertaining.
Songs were included from The Producers, Carousel, The Last Five Years, Avenue Q, South Pacific, Light in the Piazza, Secret Garden, Civil War, Into the Woods and Songs for a New World.
The showcase as a whole was wonderful. Each performer was well-rehearsed. Everyone fulfilled individual roles expertly. If the showcase and the talent involved continues to grow as it has from year to year, Plymouth State can continue to expect great things from our Musical Theatre Department.