Student-run Musical Theatre Club (pictured above) presented “MTC: Time Machine” on Sunday Nov. 11 in Wadsworth Auditorium. The ensemble covered songs from various decades and musicals, including from the shows “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Be More Chill.” (Sophie Yeomans/Asst. Copy Editor)
Geneseo’s Musical Theatre Club is known for their high-energy, captivating performances. Their most recent showcase was no exception.
The student-run and directed MTC held its Time Machine themed show on Sunday Nov. 12 in Wadsworth Auditorium. The show, which was centered on time travel, incorporated songs from Broadway musicals to depict scenarios taking place in the past and present.
“MTC: Time Machine” excitedly began with a cover of “Step in Time” from Mary Poppins performed by the Chimney Sweep Wannabes. This was followed by “Life Can Be Like the Movies” from “Chaplin,” the 2006 musical based on the life of legendary silent film star and director Charlie Chaplin. The next song performed was “Land of Lola,” from the musical “Kinky Boots.”
The cast then traveled to the 1950s with a dazzling cover of the lively “Telephone Hour” from “Bye Bye Birdie.” One of the most interesting attributes of the show was how the cast personalized the lyrics so that they could better identify with them. For example, all of the names in the song were changed to their own.
The next song was a quirky take on “Legally Blonde’s” “So Much Better.” The singers all wore matching customized shirts that said “fierce” to match the name of the act.
Unsurprisingly, the highlight of the show was “Born to Hand Jive” from “Grease.” It was a great opportunity for the cast to showcase their dancing skills, which came into focus during several tap dancing routines. This song was followed by a poignant cover of “You Will Be Found,” from the hit musical “Dear Evan Hansen.”
“My favorite song to perform was the act one closer, ‘You Will Be Found,’” president of MTC senior Danielle Comerford said. “That was a really special performance because it’s about how we have all found our people through this club … a lot of us have, definitely I have. I started out in MTC during freshman year and it has been my family ever since at Geneseo.”
After a brief intermission, the cast returned for a dynamic cover of “Ladies Choice” from “Hairspray.” This was trailed with a cover of “Big Spender” from “Sweet Charity,” a musical that takes place in the 1960s. Another highpoint was their edgier take on “Stick it to The Man” from Broadway’s adaptation of “School of Rock.”
The show then moved from the past to the future, or in this case the present, with a cover of “Pitiful Children” from “Be More Chill,” a new musical, which was released in 2015. The performance, which began with a joke about a “pit full of children,” gave the cast an opportunity to show off their stellar robotic dance moves.
A few songs later, the show concluded with a cover of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” from the musical of the same name. During this song, the entire cast wore vibrant costumes that created a lighthearted atmosphere.
One of the most interesting aspects of MTC is that it is entirely student-run and the shows are student produced.
“Next semester, we will have a whole new crop of people auditioning, which will be so much fun,” Comerford said. “We are all student-choreographed, directed and vocally-run. That’s really awesome for leadership opportunities and for people to express their creativity however they want. It’s one of the most positive, inclusive and passionate groups of people I’ve ever been a part of. I am so lucky and I think everyone involved in it feels so lucky to have it here at Geneseo.”
The show kept everyone entertained, and ran without a shortage of laughter from the audience.