You may not have heard, but there is a musical theatre major at USM, and it is producing spectacular work. The community was privy to this work over the weekend as fourteen student vocalists took to the Corthell Concert Hall stage. They transformed it into the mind of Gordon Schwinn–and a restaurant, a sidewalk, an apartment, a sailboat, and a hospital room: all without techincal scenery other than the actors themselves, a few props, and pianos.
The production was different from many musicals in that it was one hour and 40 minutes of straight singing, without intermission, without more than a short dialogue between songs.
To learn this much music in only seven weeks might sound challenging, but, as director and music director Ed Reichert explains, “It is the music is that the students are so crazy about. It’s rhythmic, it’s infectious, it gets under your skin.”
He chose the piece based on the student’s interest in the music of William Finn, the play’s composer. “They have been singing a lot of his music for the last few years, and they’ve really been turned on by the music of this man. I thought that I had a good combination of students in the program that could take on some of these roles, and it was chosen.”
“A New Brain” wasn’t the production originally planned, however. “Assassins” by Stephen Sondheim was the choice, but at the last minute, the chair of the school of music turned it down in light of the election.
For lead Joseph Valliere, a junior, this choice was welcome. He has admired the work of William Finn for years. “When I first heard this music, it made me laugh, it made me cry-literally. I fell in love with the main character. He’s so determined, yet so vulnerable, he doesn’t want to give up, but you see him start to. Every song is great, there are beautiful ballads, and quirky songs, I dare say it might be my favorite (musical) as far as the music goes.”
The role is Valliere’s dream, and something that he probably wouldn’t have been able to play until later in life because of his age, as the part being written for an older man. Because he is working with a young cast, which he is thankful for, he could be cast in the role.
“I couldn’t waste this opportunity, I put my hands in every aspect of this performance that I could. I would invite parts of the cast to rehearse with me outside of rehearsals, and always offer to be there an hour before to work with anyone who wanted to go over something. Basically, I wanted this show more than anything.”
A few days before opening night the cast is buzzing with energy, mostly costumed, laughing between takes while making small changes of choreography to enhance the scenes. The feeling on stage is of a tight-knit group of friends, very comfortable with one another and obviously enjoying every minute.
Director Reichert explains, “We have an awful lot of limitations to producing a musical in this setting, (Corthell Concert Hall) but I ‘ve found that these limitations can be assets. You can get into big sets, cumbersome sets. And instead, here you’re left with the students making the piece come alive”
Corthell’s Concert Hall was certainly alive as an impressed audience met the students with praise and applause this weekend for three performances including a Sunday matinee.
See the USM school of music website for information about upcoming events at http://www.usm.maine.edu/music/