Northeastern students received a taste of Broadway when they returned to campus this month.
The Great White Way (TGWW), Northeastern’s student-run musical theatre group, is hosting “Revue III,” a collection of about 20 songs from popular Broadway musicals like “Rent,” “Wicked” and “Phantom of the Opera.”
It is the student group’s third revue, the first since it began performing full-scale musicals like last year’s “Chicago” and “Evita.” This production marked the group’s first summer production.
A shortened version of the revue was performed last night at the Curry Student Center Ballroom. About 22 students attended the brief show, which was part of Northeastern’s Welcome Week.
Peter Karpathakis, president of TGWW, said the event served as a way to promote TGWW. Auditions for their fall musical “Once Upon A Mattress” will be held next week.
Several students, like freshman architecture major Amanda Carr, attended last night’s show because of her interest in musicals.
“I hope to be a part of [the group],” she said. “It was good to see the talent they have. I really hope to do it in the future.”
Since the performers chose their individual songs, the program was what Karpathakis called “Great White Way favorites.”
“It’s kind of an insight into the group and a way to get to know some of the members without meeting them,” he said.
Karpathakis, who performed “Written in the Stars” from “Aida,” “What You Own,” from “Rent,” “It Sucks to Be Me” from “Avenue Q” and others, began planning the event at the end of spring semester and held auditions in early June. Students began rehearsing mid-June and met biweekly to practice their tunes.
Junior communications major Nikki Rayfield performs “Hairspray’s” “Good Morning Baltimore,” Aida’s “Written in the Stars” and “Avenue Q’s” “A Fine Fine Line” and “It Sucks to Be Me.”
Rayfield said she joined the revue to “hang out and have a good time.”
The revue features karaoke versions of songs, which allowed the group to bypass the Budget Review Committee money request process, Karpathakis said. In addition to being less expensive than regular productions, the revue also required less rehearsals – something that Karpathakis said was more suitable to summer semesters.
“Having a revue is the perfect thing because we have rehearsals where you just sing,” Karpathakis said. “You’re not learning lines.”
While he hoped the revue would increase TGWW’s membership, Karpathakis said the group had another motive.
“The big reason we decided to do this was just to have some fun,” he said.
“Revue III” will be performed Sept. 11 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Curry Student Center Ballroom. Tickets cost $1 and will be sold at the door.
– News Staff writer Stephanie Shore contributed to this report.
