Marywood Players Bring Broadway to Campus

Katlynn Whitaker, Photography/Assistant Design Editor

The Marywood Players presented “The Game of Life: A Broadway Musical Revue” from March 20 through March 22 in the Black Box Theatre of the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts. The show served as a fundraiser and showcase for the student theater group.

“The Game of Life” featured 12 numbers from hit Broadway musicals. Some numbers depicted childhood, such as “Hard Knock Life” from “Annie.” Other numbers illustrated the difficulties of growing up, such as “9 to 5” from “9 to 5 the Musical” and “I Wish I Could Go Back to College” from “Avenue Q.”

The president of the Players, Nick Grevera, junior theatre major, explained that the inspiration for the show came while the club members were on their way to a theatre festival one day.

“I thought about life….we all started pitching in songs about life and the process of going through big milestones,” said Grevera.

The performance was filled with singing, dancing, and colorful costumes and scenes. The numbers allowed each individual performer to showcase his or her unique talents and styles. At the end of the show every member gathered on stage to perform “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from “Spamalot,” an appropriate number to demonstrate the club’s camaraderie.

The Players emphasize working together as a team of different ages and majors. Every student is welcome to join, not just theatre/music majors. Darren Cementina, freshman theatre major, explained that cooperation is a good concept for performers to grasp.

“We build each other up as we go along,” said Cementina. “We don’t make anyone bigger than the other. It’s a good thing to have in college.”

The Players frequently work in association with the theatre program at Marywood. They work on different theatre productions both behind the scenes and onstage.

When asked about his favorite part of being with the Players, Grevera replied that he enjoyed working with performers who “can come together and perform, and run tech and make a perfect show.”

For more information on the Marywood Players and its upcoming events, visit the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/MarywoodPlayers.

Contact the writer:

[email protected]