Tag: Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre

REVIEW: Michigan’s Got Talent

RooneyRambles 1 Comment

Wolverine’s Prove “Michigan’s Got Talent”

On Tuesday February 20, I used my Passport to the Arts to attend Michigan’s Got Talent, a talent show for the University of Michigan student body. The event was hosted by MUSIC Matters, a student organization that organizes music events on campus. Performed for the Lydia Mendelson Theatre’s packed audience and a panel of three judges, the night was act after act of inspiring creative force.

The event was MCed by two members of student improv troupe ComCo and judged by former president of MUSIC Matters Anna Lair, as well as the University of Michigan’s Vice President for Student Life Martino Harmon, and Mark Clague, an SMTD musicology professor whose scholarly interests center on the role of music in community building.

Student Band “Mahogany”

The range and variety of talent in the Michigan student body was on full display, from the upbeat k-pop covers by Korean American band Seoul Juice to the rhythmic flair of the Michigan Ballroom Dance Team. Individual talents and student organizations alike shined their light on stage. The audience was moved by vocal performances by Jeheil Butt, who also performed with DJs Acapella, and singer-singwriter Jacqueline Dianis whose buttery smooth rendition of Tennessee Whiskey was powerful and sincere. Student jam band Toast gave a zippy and energetic performance, and nine man band Mahogany connected to the audience with upbeat grooves.

Apparently on a whim, the ComCo MCs asked if anyone in the audience had a talent they’d like to share, and a brave audience member climbed onto the stage to perform an impromptu tap dance. After that, several other audience members volunteered their talents at the piano during set changes. There was a magic in the air of rooting for someone to make the change from audience member to performer at a second’s notice.

Outrage Dance’s Final Pose

Outrage Dance gave an energetic and technically impressive performance that knocked the audience’s socks off, winning the Crowd Favorite Award. Trenton Michael (featured image) and his saxophone performed an upbeat, spunky, and honest original song that had the audience clapping along, winning him Most Original Performance.

My favorite act was probably Tola Kilian and Miguel Retto, who represented the Michigan Ballroom Dance Team with a performance of Pink Panther. The suave and sassy dance was truly a pleasure to watch, and reminded me of my days studying abroad and dancing the Tango in Argentina.

Tola Kilian and Miguel Retto of The Michigan Ballroom Dance Team

I left Michigan’s Got Talent moved by the talent of my peers, and glowing from the chance to catch and reflect the shine of my classmate’s creative expression. The opportunity to see students in the audience sit up from their velvet seats and show that they too had something to share, imparted a whispered awareness of the energetic creativity that hums in the people around you. Michigan’s Got Talent was a celebration of music, and of life. I think performers and audience members alike walked out of the theater feeling inspired, and a little more talented.

Music Matters hosts other events to promote the arts and music on campus. You can check out their instagram to learn about upcoming events like Spring Fest in April.

REVIEW: Guys and Dolls

Sappy Leave a comment

*Performances of Guys and Dolls took place in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre from October 5-8 and 12-15*

On the many websites promoting SMTD’s performance of Guys and Dolls, it was called a “true crowd pleaser,” and it truly was! Guys and Dolls is a brilliant romantic comedy built around lies and deceit with themes of religion and gambling. I found myself smiling the entire two hours of the show. Because I’m so accustomed to classical music where the audience only claps at the end, I was surprised when the crowd cheered after each song. That added to the excitement and joy in the theatre, and before I knew it time flew by.

The acting, singing, and dancing were the highlight of the show. Performers in this production were all students in the Department of Musical Theatre, but they embodied their characters so well I couldn’t see them as anybody but their character even as they were taking their bows. I loved how they never left their roles when the curtains dropped, the lights turned off, and they exited the stage. They captured the regional slang and accents perfectly while singing too! I had trouble understanding at times, but that just indicates the cast’s mastery in embodying New Yorkers in the 1950s.

The main characters were gambler Nathan Detroit, played by Chad Marge (Senior, BFA Musical Theatre); Nathan’s girlfriend and night club performer Adelaide, played by Catie Leonard (Junior, BFA Musical Theatre); gambler Sky Masterson, played by Diego Rodriguez (Senior, BFA Musical Theatre); and the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown, played by Alex Humphreys (Senior, BFA in Musical Theatre).

The musical opened with the orchestra, and afterward, beautiful props such as neon store signs representative of Times Square were brought onto the stage. Following soon after was a charming dance hinting at the motif of flirtatious and sleazy love. The work of choreographer Mara Newbery Greer was just fantastic overall. The dances showed off the talent of the cast by incorporating full usage of the body through leaps and acrobatics as well as adding personality befitting of the song and scene. My favorite choreography was Luck Be a Lady featuring Sky & Crapshooters, which emphasized Sky’s charm. Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat by Nicely-Nicely & Company was super fun too, and definitely one of the comedic highlights.

My absolute favorite song was My Time of Day/I’ve Never Been in Love Before, a duet between Sky and Sarah that concluded Act I. Their voices had such gorgeous contrasts when harmonizing and responding to one another. Everyone’s singing was so stable and clear as if they were in a studio and not dancing, jumping, and running around.

I was surprised that the musical was being performed at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre since it’s small compared to other venues, but they made great use of space by incorporating the actual theatre exit and aisles into their play. Props to the Creative Team, Production Crew, Running Crew, and Orchestra for making it possible to have such a smooth showing of Guys and Dolls. I can see why it won so many awards and is so popular, and the experience made me determined to watch more musicals!

PREVIEW: Don Giovanni

Ella Larsen Leave a comment

What: Mozart’s legendary opera, considered one of the greatest of all time, produced by the SMTD’s Department of Voice and featuring the University Symphony Orchestra

When: 

  • March 24, 2023 8:00PM
  • March 25, 2023 8:00PM
  • March 26, 2023 2:00PM

Where: Lydia Mendelssohn Theater

Don Giovanni tells the story of “an incorrigible young playboy who blazes a path to his own destruction in a single day” (Opera Atelier). It is based on the story of Don Juan, a fictional Spanish libertine and seducer. The opera is regarded as one of the greatest of all time for its ambiguity between comedy and tragedy, and, of course, its music. This production of Don Giovanni is directed by Mo Zhou, who arrived as an assistant professor of music at the University last fall, and whose directing debut with the Boston Baroque was recently awarded a 2023 Opera Grant for Women Stage Directors and Conductors. The last opera I saw here was Cendrillon in 2021, and that performance gave me goosebumps, so I can’t wait to see how the Department of Voice interprets this famous story.

PREVIEW: Yerma

Emma Pinchak Leave a comment

Late-week drama that makes you think? For me, it’s always on the agenda. The trap of the crumbling mind is most dangerous around that time, especially in mid-February as the snow blows round in aimless wind. I, too, wander and float in no particular direction. Brain destined to be liquified through stress and its resulting apathy.

Theatre is an excellent way to mitigate such debilitating effects. This week at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, U-M’s Department of Theatre and Drama presents Yerma, the artful, tragic story of a barren woman of rural Spain tormented by her inability to conceive. It’s a journey, it’s a statement about gender roles, it’s a reaction to our reasons for living.

Showtimes include the following:

Thursday, February 20, 7:30 PM

Friday, February 21, 8:00 PM

Saturday, February 22, 8:00 PM

Sunday, February 23, 2:00 PM.

Get your tickets here. 

PREVIEW: The Pirates of Penzance

Angela Lin Leave a comment

The Department of Musical Theatre is performing Sir Arthur Sullivan and Sir William Gilbert’s quintessential comic opera for two more nights! The Broadway version of The Pirates of Penzance,  featuring visual gags, delightful dances, and enchanting melodies, is in its final weekend of performances at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater. If you haven’t seen this hilarious farce yet, you can still catch it Saturday, October 19th at 8pm or Sunday, October 20th at 2pm for a delightful, silly musical!van

REVIEW: Urinetown

Angela Lin Leave a comment

I never thought I’d watch a musical called “Urinetown”, but there I found myself, sitting in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater on a Sunday afternoon with a playbill on my lap entitled “Urinetown.” However absurd the title is, and however absurd the characters and play is, the underlying message of it all makes you leave, thinking about what Urinetown really means.

In a town suffering from a water drought, the poor must pay Urine Good Company in order to urinate in public toilets. While such a society may seem ridiculous, the grim reality of the show proves that it’s not so crazy. Caldwell B. Cladwell and Penelope Pennywise keep the poor in order by demanding the fees with zero exceptions. Cladwell and Senator Fipp’s agreement also reflects the grim truth about how corporations influence politics.

Cladwell’s daughter, Hope, enters the company and sings an anthem about hope. While it may seem cheesy, the number was performed beautifully by Zoe Van Slooten and offered a naive optimism that was necessary. The numerous dance numbers throughout kept the musical light, which Little Sally noted should make it a happy musical. Bobby Strong’s hero persona was appealing, leading the revolution until he was forced to visit Urinetown. Even though Office Lockstock spoils what Urinetown is in a flippant manner since that’s not something he can casually mention in Act 1, Bobby’s death came as a surprise, and his drawn-out fall offers a stark reflection of the dramatic reality of possibility.

The dialogue between Little Sally and Officer Lockstock satirizes musicals in a wonderfully meta way, and Lily Gechter’s portrayal as an innocent and curious Little Sally was convincing. Kevin McDanglebunny was probably the real star of the show though. While the over-the-top “gasp”s and “whaaaat?!”s could’ve been cringey to watch, the cast pulled it off, fully buying into the absurdity of their lines and actions. You could tell the audience loved this show with the constant laughter and never-ending clapping. Robby the Stockfish, played by Rachel Francisco, was an absolute favorite on the stage, her stilted walking and movements eliciting much joy.

However, despite the laughter that the cast brings, the drastic ending is certainly not happy at all, emphasizing the balance between draconian rules and freedom. As the world is changing and affected by climate change, a future filled with drought that forces people to pay a megacorporation to pee—as absurd as it may sound—doesn’t seem too far away anymore.