I am once again charmed by the unpolished, anything-goes nature of the 24-Hour Musical. I’m not the only one either, if the completely packed Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) Theater (full house, including people sitting in the aisles and in the front) is anything to go by. 

There is no wonder that this is one of Brandeis’ most beloved traditions. This year the Undergraduate Theater Collective (UTC) put on a production of “Legally Blonde” in exactly one day. What, like it’s hard? Starting 15 years ago, UTC has done a 24-Hour Musical every year, creating the entire production – including props, choreography and line “memorization” – from nothing. This year’s show, run by president Haia Bchiri ’20, was fantastic, with a dedicated cast and crew.  

Meg Rock ’23 played Elle Woods, everyone’s favorite Harvard law student. Despite having less than a day to nail the part, her performance was strong. Yes, there were some mishaps, but she was able to adapt smoothly and go along with every little bump in the road. She delivered the Elle Woods we all love. 

The audience was completely receptive to the comical style choices made with this production. The “potato ensemble” was perhaps the biggest hit of the show. Paulette Buonufonte, played by Kat Potts ’23, sang a song called “Ireland” while the potato ensemble — a team of dancers in black morph suits with kilts — joined her on stage, supporting her by dancing around while holding potatoes. From the moment they appeared, the audience was howling with laughter, and when they re-appeared in the second act, the crowd went wild. 

When “There! Right There!” came around late in the show, the crowd was completely enthralled by the performers. Those onstage were popping up and down from their seats as they spoke, speculating about whether the smug pool boy Nikos (Jacob Keller ’21) was gay or European. The dance between Nikos and Carlos (Kieran Whitney ’23) brought down the house with laughter and applause.

Another stand out song was “Whipped Into Shape,” featuring Hannah Novak ’22 who played Brooke Wyndham. This song, in the style of a Wyndham fitness tape in a prison yard, included what I consider the most impressive moment in the show. As Novak and the ensemble were singing, they started to jump rope, yet their pitch stayed strong. This song was also done off book, as their hands were all occupied with the jump rope.

Surprisingly, in a musical about female empowerment, some of the most popular moments were dominated completely by men. It’s unfortunate that the men were so dominant, but I understand that it comes down to the amount of lines actors have to learn. Having significantly less lines and less songs than the women, the men were able to play up their roles, doing a really good job encapsulating the vibe of these well known characters. From as early on as Warner Huntington III’s (Jacob Krah ’23) hilarious rendition of “Serious,” it was clear that the men of this production were committed. The second act brought some more strong moments, including Kyle “the UPS guy’s” (Jacob Ostfeld ’23) swagger whenever he was on stage, to H&H Salesgirls (Pierce Robinson ’22 and Jason Frank ’22) that demand attention even in what should be a significant scene about Elle and Emmett Forrest (Ben Helzner ’23). 

The moment that garnered the biggest reaction was at the end of the musical, when Emmett literally leaps over a standing Warner. Helzner received a standing ovation for his acrobatic  trick, and even had a group of fans chanting “Emmett! Emmett!” 

Garrett Tordo ’21 did a wonderful job as the villain of the musical, Professor Callahan. He was really able to capture the smarmy nature of the professor, especially in his feature song “Blood In The Water.”

The crew also clearly put in a lot of hard work in the short amount of time they had. Sure, nothing was perfect. The house music was far too loud in the first act, making it hard to hear when cast members without mics would sing. The lighting was shaky, and props were tripped over. However, there was a clear understanding of how things were supposed to run. Last year was complete chaos, but this year had a strong foundation. Lining the front of the stage was a strip of LED light that changed color depending on the setting and song (pink for Elle and LA, red for Harvard, green for Paulette), which was a tactic that I found very effective. Props included tall columns decorated with feather boas, a “Hair Affair” sign, and brick lined with vines, a pretty solid showing for such a short amount of time to prepare. 

It’s safe to say that the show was a success. Audience and cast members alike looked delighted throughout the entire performance. I look forward to seeing what UTC can bring next year, hoping for the same unabashed joy the 24-Hour Musical continues to bring.

I am once again charmed by the unpolished, anything-goes nature of the 24 hour musical. I’m not the only one either, if the completely packed Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) Theater (full house, including people sitting in the aisles and in the front) is anything to go by. 

There is no wonder that this is one of Brandeis’ most beloved traditions. This year the Undergraduate Theater Collective (UTC) put on a production of “Legally Blonde” in exactly one day. What, like it’s hard? Starting 15 years ago, UTC has done a 24 hour musical every year, creating the entire production – including props, choreography and line “memorization” – from nothing. This year’s show, run by president Haia Bchiri ’20, was fantastic, with a dedicated cast and crew.  

Meg Rock ’23 played Elle Woods, everyone’s favorite Harvard law student. Despite having less than a day to nail the part, her performance was strong. Yes, there were some mishaps, but she was able to adapt smoothly and go along with every little bump in the road. She delivered the Elle Woods we all love. 

The audience was completely receptive to the comical style choices made with this production. The “potato ensemble” was perhaps the biggest hit of the show. Paulette Buonufonte, played by Kat Potts ’23, sang a song called “Ireland” while the potato ensemble — a team of dancers in black morph suits with kilts — joined her on stage, supporting her by dancing around while holding potatoes. From the moment they appeared, the audience was howling with laughter, and when they re-appeared in the second act, the crowd went wild. 

When “There! Right There!” came around late in the show, the crowd was completely enthralled by the performers. Those onstage were popping up and down from their seats as they spoke, speculating about whether the smug pool boy Nikos (Jacob Keller ’21) was gay or European. The dance between Nikos and Carlos (Kieran Whitney ’23) brought down the house with laughter and applause.

Another stand out song was “Whipped Into Shape,” featuring Hannah Novak ’22 who played Brooke Wyndham. This song, in the style of a Wyndham fitness tape in a prison yard, included what I consider the most impressive moment in the show. As Novak and the ensemble were singing, they started to jump rope, yet their pitch stayed strong. This song was also done off book, as their hands were all occupied with the jump rope.

Surprisingly, in a musical about female empowerment, some of the most popular moments were dominated completely by men. It’s unfortunate that the men were so dominant, but I understand that it comes down to the amount of lines actors have to learn. Having significantly less lines and less songs than the women, the men were able to play up their roles, doing a really good job encapsulating the vibe of these well known characters. From as early on as Warner Huntington III’s (Jacob Krah ’23) hilarious rendition of “Serious,” it was clear that the men of this production were committed. The second act brought some more strong moments, including Kyle “the UPS guy’s” (Jacob Ostfeld ’23) swagger whenever he was on stage, to H&H Salesgirls (Pierce Robinson ’22 and Jason Frank ’22) that demand attention even in what should be a significant scene about Elle and Emmett Forrest (Ben Helzner ’23). 

The moment that garnered the biggest reaction was at the end of the musical, when Emmett literally leaps over a standing Warner. Helzner received a standing ovation for his acrobatic  trick, and even had a group of fans chanting “Emmett! Emmett!” 

Garrett Tordo ’23 did a wonderful job as the villain of the musical, Professor Callahan. He was really able to capture the smarmy nature of the professor, especially in his feature song “Blood In The Water.”

The crew also clearly put in a lot of hard work in the short amount of time they had. Sure, nothing was perfect. The house music was far too loud in the first act, making it hard to hear when cast members without mics would sing. The lighting was shaky, and props were tripped over. However, there was a clear understanding of how things were supposed to run. Last year was complete chaos, but this year had a strong foundation. Lining the front of the stage was a strip of LED light that changed color depending on the setting and song (pink for Elle and LA, red for Harvard, green for Paulette), which was a tactic that I found very effective. Props included tall columns decorated with feather boas, a “Hair Affair” sign, and brick lined with vines, a pretty solid showing for such a short amount of time to prepare. 

It’s safe to say that the show was a success. Audience and cast members alike looked delighted throughout the entire performance. I look forward to seeing what UTC can bring next year, hoping for the same unabashed joy the 24-Hour Musical continues to bring.