From Oct. 3 to Oct. 4, a very special production ran at Topper Theatre in the Mullen Center. “Broadway In Concert,” true to its name, was a celebration of beloved Broadway hits. From classics like The Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story to new stories like The Prom, there was something for everyone in this show.
“Broadway In Concert” consisted of a 26-piece orchestra, the entire University Choir, 13 non-student soloists and some members of the Villanova Student Musical Theatre (VSMT) ensemble.
It was a massive production pulled off by none other than University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D. and theatre professor Peter A. Hillard, M.M., M.F.A. Hillard directed and conducted the shows, while Father Peter acted as the executive producer.
The audience itself was a unique crowd. Unlike typical Mullen Center productions, which draw in students supporting their friends or looking to check the “ACS-approved” box, “Broadway In Concert” pulled in many attendants from surrounding towns. Many different worlds collided over a shared love of musical theatre.
To begin the show, the orchestra and many of the featured soloists performed a medley from the 1980 musical 42nd Street. It was a strong start with great vocals, high energy and even a tap number. The audience also got clued in on a fun fact: the man who wrote the music for 42nd Street, Al Dubin, also wrote Villanova’s “Alma Mater.”
The next section of the show was dedicated to classics, with soloists performing songs from shows like Funny Girl, along with a wonderful rendition of “Seasons of Love” from Rent by the choir.
Then came one of the most exciting moments of the show. The cast of VSMT’s upcoming production of The Prom sang two of their show’s songs: “Love Thy Neighbor” and “Dance With You.” Fully outfitted with costumes and choreography, these performances gave the audience a lot to look forward to at the end of the month when The Prom comes to Villanova. Several of the students in this production are also in the University Choir, so the audience got to see them show off their skills multiple times throughout the show.
After VSMT’s moment, the show returned to its soloists for a rendition of one of Father Peter’s favorite’s, “Gimme Gimme” from Thoroughly Modern Millie, and two songs from Urinetown. Urinetown, Hillard told the audience during the matinee show, was the last production Father Peter put on in the Theatre Department before he was made University President. The two soloists featured in the tribute to this musical, who performed “Follow Your Heart” and “Run Freedom Run,” are Villanova alumni, one of which was in the original production 20 years ago.
With more than half of the show already done, the choir performed an extensive West Side Story choral suite featuring a host of student soloists from the choir. They came and went across the stage as they sang, giving each their moment to shine.
The final section of “Broadway In Concert” featured a selection of what Hillard called their “favorites.” After hits like “Anything You Can Do” and “Over The Rainbow,” the show concluded with a rendition of “Make Our Garden Grow” by two members of the University Choir, Marco Klisch and Emily Jo.
“Broadway In Concert” was an amazing display of all the talent that lives in and around Villanova, and the Topper Theatre is the best place to see it year-round.
