Taylor Goodyear

Staff Writer

A new semester has begun, and with it comes new performances by the various musical groups on campus. The Studio Theater is putting on Mean Girls—a musical adaptation of the iconic 2000s movie—this coming April, and it’s sure to be a success. The Behrend Theater Club, on the other hand, is doing something a little different for this spring. 

The Behrend Theater Club is no stranger to unique shows. Its flagship show, Ride The Cyclone, is a relatively obscure musical with an unconventional plot, and last semester’s Trail to Oregon was fun, off-beat, and unlike anything the club had ever done before. The club’s allure is in its student-directed performances—every show has been entirely run by Behrend students. 

Midnight on Broadway is no exception to either of these precedents. Instead of one full show, Midnight on Broadway is a musical mash-up, combining songs from fifteen different musicals (and one band) to create a magical display of talent across a wide variety of styles, sets, and actors. The one thing all of these songs have in common? A dash of darkness, a hint of melancholy, and a somber mood that lends itself to the “Midnight” in the showcase’s title. From “The Whole Being Dead Thing” from Beetlejuice (starring Jack McBride as the titular character) to “Hellfire” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (featuring Logan Boyle as Frollo) to “The Point of No Return” from The Phantom of the Opera (with Kendal Smith and Aiden Herrel-Ward as the iconic Christine and Phantom), every song has a mysterious air and a darker theme that creates a cohesive show out of otherwise unrelated musical numbers.  The showcase is currently set to perform two nights: Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28. More shows will be added if tickets run short. More information about the showcase, including the full setlist and the cast, can be found on the Behrend Theater Instagram.