On April 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m., Biola’s Conservatory of Music and School of Fine Arts and Communication hosted the Musical Theater Scenes production in the Crowell Music Building. It was a composition of songs from a variety of popular musicals.
The cast opened with songs from multiple plays and musicals.
- “Prologue” from “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812”
- “Out There” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
- “Breathe” from “In the Heights”
- “In My Dreams” from “Anastasia”
- “Come Home with Me/Wedding Song” from “Hadestown”
- “I’ve Decided to Marry You” from “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”
- “Gaston” from “Beauty and the Beast”
- “Masquerade” from “The Phantom of the Opera”
- “When the Chips are Down” from “Hadestown”
- “One Day More” from “Les Miserables”
- “Move On” from “Sunday in the Park George”
- “From Now On” from “The Greatest Showman”
“It’s an amalgamation of a bunch of different musicals. Just a bunch of songsters having fun performing hits from contemporary musicals,” senior theater major Jesenya Rivera-Puls said.
Rivera-Puls played several roles, including Nina in the song “Breathe” from “In the Heights,” a silly girl in “Gaston” from “Beauty and the Beast” and Clotho the Fate in “When the Chips are Down” from “Hadestown.” Rivera-Puls was also the dance captain for this production.
In preparation for the performance, the singers rehearsed three times a week throughout the course of the semester, piecing together the production one number at a time.
“There’s a wide range of performers, from people who are trained singers to others for whom this is their very first musical experience,” Rivera-Puls said. “It’s a lot of fun with some classics and some contemporary hits.”
This production was thoughtfully put together and gave each performer the opportunity to show off their amazing voices. The opening number was unique and attention-grabbing, setting up for the remainder of the production. Each song was engaging and entertaining, leading up to the astounding final performance of “From Now On,” which provided an amazing end to the night.
