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| To raise money to offset the cost of their move to NYC, a group of OU alumni (and one UM-Flint alumnus) is hosting two evenings of music theatre in the show “The Broadway Bunch” on Aug. 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. at the Avon Players Theatre in Washington, Mich. |
By Rebecca Wyatt Thomas, OU Web Writer
Six Oakland University alumni and one University of Michigan-Flint alumnus will pack up their things in moving trucks and head out for a new adventure in New York City, pursuing their dreams of careers in musical theatre. To raise money to offset the cost of their trip, the group is hosting two evenings of music theatre in the show “The Broadway Bunch” on Aug. 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. at the Avon Players Theatre in Washington, Mich.
“This is the best time for us to move. We’ve all graduated and spent some time saving money. We’ve decided to put on a benefit concert to alleviate some of the cost. This would probably be the best possible fundraiser we could do as performers,” said Elise Castle, CAS ’07, and one of “The Broadway Bunch” performers and New York-bound alumni.
Castle, along with Annie Phillips, CAS ’07; Ben Lynch, CAS ’07; Alicia Psciuk, CAS ’07; Courtney Warford, CAS ’07; Renee Turner, CAS ’06; and Tom Russell, a UM-Flint 2004 grad, selected songs that had meaning to them and helped guide them to where they are today.
“We’re doing a night of musical theatre. It will be 90 percent singing. Everyone has selected two solos and we have group numbers as well,” Castle said.
The musical theatre graduates will travel to New York in August to find apartments. They hope to stay together in two apartments and lean on each other for support. Castle said moving to a new city is intimidating but they know this is where they need to be.
“There isn’t really a market for musical theatre in Michigan. New York will always be the place to go,” Castle said.
The seven friends have been working long hours at multiple jobs to be able to afford the move and have time in New York to get a head start finding work. They have waited tables, worked in retail, sung with wedding bands, worked in offices and performed on dinner trains to finally live their dream.
“The Broadway Bunch” has been a working in progress since April. The friends and future roommates will come together the week of the performance to put the final pieces in place. “The Broadway Bunch” is directed, produced and performed by Being Green Productions with the help of longtime friends from the local theatre community.
“We’re working really hard to do everything so this performance comes out great. If nothing else, it’s one last time for all of us to perform together, because the odds of that happening again are slim to none,” Castle said.
For ticket information for “The Broadway Bunch,” call (248) 506-8510.
Six Oakland University alumni and one University of Michigan-Flint alumnus will pack up their things in moving trucks and head out for a new adventure in New York City, pursuing their dreams of careers in musical theatre. To raise money to offset the cost of their move, the group is hosting two evenings of music theatre in the show “The Broadway Bunch” on Aug. 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. at the Avon Players Theatre in Washington, Mich.