Geneseo’s Limelight and Accents Performing Arts Series held its first event on Saturday Sept. 23. VoicePlay, an a cappella group composed of five individuals, took the stage at Wadsworth Auditorium for a lively performance.
The performance took place during Geneseo’s Homecoming and Family Weekend, and the event garnered many students as well as their family members for an energetic night. The great turnout for this event was due to the popularity of the group of talented singers, who have become a social media sensation.
VoicePlay now has more than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube. About a month ago, they posted a video entitled “MOANA MEDLEY” featuring singer Rachel Potter, and the video has already received over 2 million views. In the video, the group performs an a cappella version of the music from the Disney hit Moana.
Based in Orlando, VoicePlay performs its own special genre of music and entertainment across the country. The group began as a street corner barbershop act and has now evolved into an enchanting experience with an impressive collection of performers.
It was remarkable to watch the successful musical production take place; the whole performance involved five solely captivating voices. The VoicePlay ensemble has taken the traditional sound of vocal music and reinvented it to accommodate their unique style.
VoicePlay is more than just an a cappella performance group. The group has developed a full stage show, which can be described as innovative, fascinating, creative, and at many times humorous. The group’s performance evoked emotions that accompanied many different eras of music, from country to hip hop to famous Broadway musicals. Each song was laced with hilarious onstage theatrics and the individual talents of each member were showcased as well.
The members of VoicePlay include Layne Stein, Earl Elkins Jr., Geoff Castellucci, Eli Jacobson and the newest addition Jessie Nunn III—also known as J None.
During the two hours that VoicePlay spent on stage, the group managed to interact with the audience while simultaneously dazzling them. Between each act, the crowd would erupt in applause and cheers.
“I really enjoyed seeing VoicePlay live,” psychology major freshman Rylee Powers said. “I’ve been subscribed to them on YouTube for a while, but they were even better to watch in person.”
Perhaps the highlight of the entire performance was when the group brought an unsuspecting audience member onstage to take part in a mock “audition” in a quest to find a sixth addition to VoicePlay.
Another fun act to watch was “Aca Top 10” where the group created a medley of their 10 favorite Broadway musical songs from “Phantom of the Opera,” “Rent,” “The Book of Mormon” and “Wicked.” Apart from the medley, “My Shot” from the hit musical “Hamilton” was so special to the group that it was performed in its entirety.
VoicePlay’s delightful performance would not have been possible without Geneseo’s Limelight and Accents Series, and Saturday’s performance was the perfect addition for family weekend.
Geneseo’s Limelight and Accents Performing Arts Series featured a cappella group VoicePlay for their first event of the season. The show was filled with energetic tunes, engaging audience members in its performance. (Ash Dean/Staff Photographer)