Extra Credit: A 20th Century Romantic Comedy

Lights! Camera! Choo Choo
The 20th Century
03/01/15
Jenkins Theater (NFAC)

The 20th Century reflects a classic romantic comedy, all featured on a 16 hour train ride from Chicago to New York. A dynamic duo work together to tame the rampant thoughts of their boss, Oscar Jaffe, while Oscar himself duels to reclaim his best actress (not to mention ex-lover) Lily Garland for his next play. This train ride brings romance, jealousy, cunning, and religious nuts all together in a graceful clash that surrounds a colorful cast of mismatched characters.

The first thing I noticed when the musical started, was how strong the voices of the cast were. For a college-level performance, the voices of these singers held strong to their notes and vocalized their lines to the upmost clarity and humor. Confidence was another thing I noticed, all of these characters (whether small parts or large) were confident in their roles and line and never missed a single beat.

Another thing I noticed during the musical was how confident the actresses and actors were on stage. They all made the performance graceful and natural, which can help keep an audience focused on the main points of the musical, instead of focusing on how nervous the performers are. They all made the show completely entertaining and they all consumed the roles of their characters to the point where you didn't have to question what person they were trying to represent; it was all right there on the stage.

When it comes to slapstick comedy, there is a thin line between too much and to subtle. In this case, the cast of The 20th Century worked with just the right amount. Whether it's slamming Bruce Granit (a, for the most part, incompetent character) behind a door while other characters take no notice, or if its shoving that same character into a closet to prevent him from convincing Lily to not sign a contract.

Overall, I think the musical was a complete success, and very entertaining. Knowing how much talent our school holds, I'll definitely see more plays in the future!