[ARCHIVED SPRING 2012]
Once Upon a Mattress (Spring 2012)
Due to an unhappy curse, King Sextimus is unable to speak. Meanwhile, his terror of a wife, Queen Aggravian, has taken over control of the kingdom. Most importantly, in an attempt to keep Prince Dauntless single, she has decreed that only the princess that can pass her test may marry her son. Further, no one else in the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless does. Lady Larken and Sir Harry are extremely disturbed by this fact since Lady Larken is now pregnant with Sir Harry's baby. Luckily, Sir Harry is able to find an amazing princess, Winnifred the Woebegone. She instantly catches the attention of Prince Dauntless, and in the end, is able to pass the Queen's supposedly impassable sensitivity test. When the Queen still tries to prevent the Prince Dauntless from marrying, he tells her to 'shut up' which ends up breaking the curse on the king. Now able to speak, King Sextimus regains his rightful position as leader of the kingdom, and all is well.
[title of show] (Fall 2011)
Musical Theatre Club's first Small Fall Show! [title of show] is a one-act musical, with music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and a book by Hunter Bell. The show chronicles its own creation as an entry in the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and follows the struggles of the author and composer/lyricist and their two actress friends during the initial brief (three-week) creative period, along with subsequent events leading up to the show's production.
Broadway Backwards! (Fall 2011)
For MTC's sixth annual Fall Showcase, the theme was Broadway Backwards, allowing males to perform traditionally-female numbers and vice versa. A fun time, the show included songs from many musicals including "Without Love" from Hairspray, "Nothing Like a Dame" from South Pacific, "America" from West Side Story, "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast, and "Willkommen" from Cabaret! The club also welcomed back the Cleftomaniacs to perform, many students participating in both groups. Many new members joined the club this year, boosting the number of participants to a whopping 40 performers! We are thankful for a successful show and look forward to whatever next years showcase has in store!
RENT (Spring 2011)
WINNER of the 2010/2011 Black and Gold Award for BEST WEEKEND EVENT of the YEAR!
Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer-prize winning Broadway musical based loosely on Puccini's opera La Bohème. It follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York's East Village. AIDS and both its physical and emotional complications pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel; Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble; Benjamin has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends; and Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general, always behind the camera recording the events but never playing a part.
Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer-prize winning Broadway musical based loosely on Puccini's opera La Bohème. It follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York's East Village. AIDS and both its physical and emotional complications pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel; Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble; Benjamin has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends; and Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general, always behind the camera recording the events but never playing a part.
[title of showcase]: Broadway for the New Millennium (Fall 2010)
MTC's Fifth Annual Fall Showcase was a smashing success, featuring songs from many hit Broadway Musicals including: Hairspray, West Side Story, Next to Normal, Sweeney Todd, The Producers, Spring Awakening, and In the Heights. The theme was ‘Broadway in the New Millennium,” so all the songs featured were from original and revived musicals from Broadway and Off-Broadway in the last ten years. Following this theme, we decided to feature as many shows as possible by using only one song from each musical. Also, for the first time we were also lucky enough to have the UMBC Cleftomaniacs performing with us. Many students participate in both groups and we were very happy to share the stage with the outstanding a cappella group!
Into the Woods (Spring 2010)
An ambivalent Cinderella? A blood-thirsty Little Red Ridinghood? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A Witch...who raps? They're all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale. When a Baker and his Wife learn they've been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying to and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone's wish is granted at the end of Act One, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins a lively irreverent fantasy in the style of "The Princess Bride" becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.
Good vs. Evil (Fall 2009)
Many musicals feature conflict between Good and Evil. These
conflicts can take form in anything from two opposing men, a teen
against society, or even a man combating himself. Our showcase included
songs from classic good guys and villains as well as characters simply
dealing with their own conscience. Some of the best musicals have been
melodramas using the extremes of good and evil to tell great stories.
"Good vs. Evil" displayed both sides of the never ending struggle as
well as some situations that blur the lines. Our cast presented songs
from Into the Woods, Avenue Q, Sweeney Todd, Annie, Dr. Horrible
Sing-a-long Blog, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Spring Awakening, Anything
Goes, Wicked, Into the Woods, Les Miserables, The Producers, Cinderella, and Jekyll & Hyde.
Pippin (Spring 2009)
Once upon a time, the young prince Pippin longed to discover the secret of true happiness and fulfillment. He sought it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father King Charlemagne the Great). In the end, he found it in the simple pleasures of home and family. This hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale captivated Broadway audiences and continues to appeal to the young at heart everywhere (the show has become a staple on high school and college campuses). The energetic pop-influenced score by three-time Oscar®-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell,” “Children of Eden” and the animated films “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame” and “The Prince Of Egypt”) bursts with one showstopping number after another, from soaring ballads to infectious dance numbers.
Happily Ever After (Fall 2008)
The most popular theme in musical is romantic relationships. The art
form seems to be perfect for depicting the hardships and celebrations
of Love. This year's cabaret night featured songs that represented all
different facets of Love, from awkward beginnings to exuberant
confessions. The performances gave the cast a chance to be a part of
some of the most famous and loved scenes from musical theatre.
Company (Spring 2008)
The clashing sounds and pulsing rhythms of New York City underscore this landmark "concept" show, considered by many to have inaugurated the modern era of musical theatre. "Company" follows our anti-hero bachelor Robert as he makes his way through a series of encounters with April (the stewardess), Kathy (the girl who's going to marry someone else), Marta (the "peculiar" one), as well as with his married friends. On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state. In vignette after hilarious vignette, we are introduced to "those good and crazy people," his married friends, as Robert weighs the pros and cons of married life. In the end, he realizes being alone is "alone, not alive."
Broadway's Best: Then and Now (Fall 2007)
Our second showcase focused on the best stage musicals of the last
century. The performances featured songs from Tony Award winners. These awards recognize the best in musical theatre for each season. Like
other award programs, they recognize outstanding productions for
everything from lead roles and directing to lighting design and
choreography. To showcase the best of Broadway, we chose songs from the
productions that won Best Musical their first season on Broadway. These
included performances from Aida, Les Miserables, Into the Woods, A
Chorus Line, Cabaret, Evita, Company, Rent, Ragtime, Spamalot, The Light
in the Piazza, Parade, Avenue Q, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The 25th
Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Spring 2007)
The MTC’s first ever full production, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” ran four shows over a two weekend period to students, friends, and family at UMBC in the Spring of 2007. A program note says that the time of action is “an average day in the life of Charlie Brown.” It really is just that: a day made up of moments picked from all the days of Charlie Brown, from Valentine’s Day to the baseball season, from wild optimism to utter despair, all mixed with the lives of his friends (human and non-human) and strung together during a single day- from an uncertain morning to a hopeful starlit evening.
A Night at the Movies (Fall 2006)
For the club's first performance, we chose to give a nod to Film
Musicals. These movies include stage musicals that were adapted for the
screen, musicals that were adapted from movies, and original movie
musicals. For many people, movie musicals make up most of their musical
performances they've seen. The theme for this first showcase aimed at
the average Joe who might only know those musicals in film. This
showcase featured selections from Chicago, Reefer Madness, Crazy for
You, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Moulin Rouge, Rent, Wicked, Phantom
of the Opera, Jekyll & Hyde, Spamalot, Thoroughly Modern Millie,
The Full Monty, Cabaret, and Hairspray.