By Samantha Baird
If you enjoy amazing talent, fun costumes, and great music, then BYU’s Music/Dance/Theatre Broadway Revue is for you. Broadway Revue is a program put on by students in the interdisciplinary music, dance, and theatre program at BYU to spotlight different performers and perform pieces that may not otherwise be done on a BYU stage, all while raising money for MDT students. Proceeds from the ticket sales go toward scholarships for students in the program and being a lover of musical theatre, I was very excited to see the show and they did not disappoint.
Broadway Revue, directed by Taft Robinson and Dayne Joyner, is roughly an hour long show with dozens of songs from Broadway shows ranging from Ragtime to Funny Girl to Aida with everything in between. As stated in their directors’ note, they wanted to put together a show that demonstrates a celebration of life and that is exactly what they succeeded in doing. With over 30 current students involved in the show, the stage is full of life and light as they open with “On My Way” from Violet. It is a fun upbeat song featuring Ellora Latin, Jessica Sundwall, Miriam Edwards, Ben Raymant, and Ethan Clayton as soloists with choreography by Meg Flinders and Anna Tanner. From the start of the first number to the end of the last, the energy is high, and the audience has fun because the performers onstage are having fun. “It’s Your Wedding Day” from The Wedding Singer (soloist Kristian Huff) and “Strongest Suit” from Aida (soloists Melissa Summers, Sydney Howell, and Krista Hemsley) are a couple more showstoppers that definitely stopped me in my tracks. I’ve never seen The Wedding Singer or Aida, but I can tell you now, after seeing those performances, they are on my list.
While upbeat performances tend to get more attention, my favorites are the ballads. “In a Crowd of Thousands” from Anastasia (soloists Flinders and Joyner), “Pure Imagination” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (soloist Daniel Wallentine), and “Everything I Know” from In the Heights (soloists Ashton Wight and Sophia Jensen), are just a few of the beautiful pieces included in Broadway Revue that had me feeling every kind of emotion possible.
Broadway Revue is suitable for audience of all ages, so bring your families and enjoy a fun night of music, dance, and theatre. While there were a few sound issues, that never got in the way of my enjoying the show. The lights, costumes, and cohesiveness of the piece were enough for me to have an enjoyable night at the theater. There’s only one more show tomorrow, so don’t miss your chance to see fun performances and support the studies of up and coming artists in the community.
Brigham Young University Arts presents Broadway Revue
Pardoe Theater, Harris Fine Arts Center Provo, UT 84602
April 4 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM, April 5 7:00 PM
Tickets: $6-11
Contact: BYU Arts 801-422-2981
BYU Arts Facebook Page
Broadway Revue Facebook Event
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