"Broadway, Your Way!" is a musical revue with a democratic twist.
It runs today through Sunday at Theatre X.
Audience members get to vote on the songs they want the cast to perform, and they're also invited to participate in a sing-along and dance-along.
Director Hal Simons said this is the first year UNM has done an interactive musical revue.
"The idea came from (musical theater director) Kathy Clawson, and it's actually going on in New York right now," Simons said. "There is a similar show right now being done professionally. It's called 'Broadway Jukebox.'"
Performers talk to the audience between songs. Theater student Leonard Hughes said interacting with an audience takes some of the pressure out of performing. Plus, it's fun.
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"One thing I was worried about when they said it was a revue was because in every musical theater class, we end the semester with a showcase," Hughes said. "And they are always long, and they drag on, and it can be incredibly boring for the audience."
Hughes said there will be performer-audience relations with the voting and dancing, but they can also sit back and be entertained.
"We start with a big ensemble number, and right away we have them vote on three duets they want. We tell them what they are, and they can ask us questions if they want more information," Hughes said. "While the votes are counted up and we figure out who the winner is, the solos go on."
Hughes said the audience will also vote on three trios.
Gilbert Sanchez performs in "Broadway, Your Way!" and said this type of production lets performers show their individuality in the song they pick.
"My favorite song is 'She Cries,' by Jason Robert Brown," Sanchez said. "'The Bitch of Living' is another favorite song of mine. I come from Catholic school, so coming to UNM is nice because there is a lot of freedom."
Simons said this revue was popular among theater students because it has 33 songs, most of which are contemporary Broadway pieces.
"There is something from every decade from the '50s on, and there actually is one older song than that," Simons said.
The casting was held in December, and once the cast was picked, they had one rehearsal before break. He and Clawson asked the students to bring a list of songs they were familiar with or wanted to learn.
"We had a very truncated rehearsal period, so we didn't want to start from scratch," Simons said. "There wouldn't have been time to do what we really wanted to do and come off really polished."
Hughes said there are unexpected song selections in the revue.
"There are a few voting sections, and one of them is for 'What Would Brian Boitano Do?' from the 'South Park' movie," Hughes said. "We have a feeling we'll be doing that every single night."
'Broadway, Your Way
Today-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, 2p.m.
Theater X
