From SMuT comes a Party Worth Crashing

By Emily Francisco

The Student Musical Theatre Troupe on campus, more commonly known as “SMuT,” premiered its first performance of the season this past weekend. Party Worth Crashing, a song cycle of music by Brian Lowdermilk and lyrics by Kait Kerrigan, was a fun collection of songs that dealt with the woes of youth, life lessons, and coming of age. Though there was little plot connection between the musical selections, it was certainly an enjoyable show.

The performance was located in the Stevens Theatre, the blackbox located in the back of the Kline Theatre. Directed by students Angela Hartman and Kirsten Egenes, who also starred in the production, SMuT brought back alumni Peter Mele to perform in the show. Other featured students in the small cast were Allison Erskine, Rachel Lovelidge, and Riley Park.

The main challenge the cast faced in the two weeks it took to assemble the show was, in essence, assembling the show. The music of Lowdermilk and Kerrigan traditionally is not in the form of a script; online fans can see clips of the original performers singing selections in front of music stands. SMuT used its artistic liberties to meld the songs together. Using unique blocking, the ensemble conveyed the actors literally getting dressed as the show progressed. All six entered opening numbers “The Bad Years” and “Wake Up” dressed in pajamas and sweats; by the final conclusion “Here I Am” each character was dressed up and symbolically ready to proceed with their life.

The musical selections were all catchy, especially the title song “Party Worth Crashing.” Songs such as “Pretty Girl Blues,” “My Party Dress,” “I Confess,” and “Anonymous Sex” kept the audience roaring with laughter. Other songs were more melancholy and sparked tears, such as “Run Away With Me” and “Not a Love Story.” However, the lack of plot cohesiveness between the songs caused some confusion in the audience.

The talent exhibited by the cast was the glue that held the show together; each member of the cast executed well-trained vocal skills and demonstrated unbelievable stage presence. SMuT has certainly “set the stage” for the rest of its performances this year!