About the Club
The UMBC Musical Theatre Club was founded in Fall 2006 by students Kelly Fey and Mikey Cafarelli. Prior to the club's creation, musical theatre was practically non-existent on the UMBC campus and the club's creation brought a new dimension to the UMBC arts community. In Fall 2006, MTC had its first musical showcase, A Night at the Movies, which played in the Commons Sport Zone to a crowd of about 125 people. Following the success of the showcase, the club set out to mount a full musical production, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The show ran for four nights over a two-weekend period to an audience of UMBC students and other members of the community.
Since then, MTC has grown to be one of the largest clubs on campus, welcoming hundreds of club members and performing to thousands of audience members over the last ten years. The showcase and spring musical have become annual productions and have adapted throughout the club's history to different spaces, cast sizes, and technology. This school year, MTC put on its fourteenth annual showcase in the fall, Times Are Changing, in the Fine Arts Recital Hall and its fifth fall small musical, Godspell, in the Skylight Room. MTC's most recent full-fledged spring musical was Spring Awakening, put on in the Fine Arts Recital Hall in April 2019.
MTC has seen a great number of thespians come and go over the years. In September 2016, some of MTC's earliest members came together to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the club by putting on an Alumni Showcase. Part of the UMBC 50 celebration, the showcase featured current and graduated club members reprising numbers from past musicals.
While MTC is best known for its showcases and musicals, the club administers several other events throughout each semester to welcome people who may not have the time to rehearse for a full show. These events include occasional parties, movie nights, and sing-alongs as well as annualized events. Each September, MTC hosts a Meet-and-Greet for veteran club members to meet interested newcomers. MTC also hosts a Halloween "Spookstravaganza" Party in October (or sometimes early November) and a Holiday "Nightmare Before Finals" Party in December just before the fall semester ends. In February, MTC hosts an Oscars Viewing Party, where club members make predictions about which films will win the Academy Award. Towards the middle of the spring semester, MTC hosts a Prom, where club members dress fancily, casually, or in costume (dependent on the theme) and dance to songs from musicals or other genres. Additional events include trips to see local productions of musicals, fundraisers, and viewing parties of our upcoming shows.
While MTC is best known for its showcases and musicals, the club administers several other events throughout each semester to welcome people who may not have the time to rehearse for a full show. These events include occasional parties, movie nights, and sing-alongs as well as annualized events. Each September, MTC hosts a Meet-and-Greet for veteran club members to meet interested newcomers. MTC also hosts a Halloween "Spookstravaganza" Party in October (or sometimes early November) and a Holiday "Nightmare Before Finals" Party in December just before the fall semester ends. In February, MTC hosts an Oscars Viewing Party, where club members make predictions about which films will win the Academy Award. Towards the middle of the spring semester, MTC hosts a Prom, where club members dress fancily, casually, or in costume (dependent on the theme) and dance to songs from musicals or other genres. Additional events include trips to see local productions of musicals, fundraisers, and viewing parties of our upcoming shows.
Regardless of your background, free time, or ability to act, dance, or sing, we welcome everyone to join MTC - so long as you're a UMBC student and like musical theatre to some extent (or even if you don't! We'll still welcome you. We just might be slightly confused). For those interested in the technical aspect of theatre, we can always use a set of hands in running our productions and we'd be happy to have you! The only events that require auditioning are our annual showcase and fall/spring musicals; you can participate in all others without any prerequisites. To inquire about upcoming events, you can join our mailing list or attend weekly meetings in Fine Arts 001.