PREVIEW: Improv Meets Broadway in Mop and Bucket Company’s Latest Show
Beginning 05/09 @ Mopco Improv Theatre, Schenectady
Photos provided by Mopco
“You get to see a Broadway-style show for a movie ticket price in an intimate, relaxed space right here at home!”
Spontaneous Broadway is improvisational theater at its best — a whirlwind of music and showmanship held at a breakneck pace. On May 9, 16, 30, and June 6, the Mopco Improv Theatre in Schenectady will host new and never-before-seen full-scale productions featuring improvised dance, singing, and props. The end result is a show that TheNew York Times praised as ‘flirting with the risks and rewards of improvisation.’
The show’s format unfolds in two acts. In Act I, audience members suggest song titles, and the Mop & Bucket Company (Mopco) improvisers launch into singing an original musical number from a show that doesn’t exist, with the help of the Mopco accompanist on keyboards.
“It's not just a collection of improvised songs,” highlights Artistic Director Michael Burns, who plays Mick Treadwell, the ‘producer’ of the Spontaneous Broadway show.
He serves as the MC in Act I, following a loose outline for Act I to orient the audience to what they’re about to see. “Every show is completely different,” he explains.
After the audience votes for their favorite creation, Act II sees the improvisers turn the chosen song into the inspiration for a full-scale musical featuring a plot, costumes, props, dances, set pieces, and additional music.
“It's all pretty magical,” says Burns. “I love to see people come back again, looking to ‘prove’ that the show isn't actually improvised. I also love the total chaos of intermission. The audience only gets to see the set construction part of that; the costumes are invented upstairs in the green room.”
For any audience members unfamiliar with the improvisational theater experience or hesitant due to misconceptions about it, Burns and the company assure all attendees that they're in safe hands for the evening. While attendees write down the song titles before the show, there are no volunteers required.
“We don't do on-stage volunteers in this show format,” explains Burns. “If you are afraid that you will somehow be pulled on stage or made fun of in some way, know that we never make fun of our audience — we only want to respect and please our audience!”
Spontaneous Broadway was created by co-director Kat Koppett in association with Freestyle Rep in New York City. The Mopco Improv Theatre was founded in 1995 by Burns and serves the Capital Region as its only dedicated improv theater. Burns’ and Koppett’s collaboration, both personally and professionally, has pushed Mopco to new heights of what improvisational theater is capable of producing.
“In 2007, Proctors gave us an incredible opportunity to do shows every Friday night in their Underground space,” recalls Burns. “That really was an incubator for us, and the nearly ten years we performed there enabled us to build our audience and the company. We took the plunge and bought and renovated our building at 10 N Jay Street in 2016.”
When the Mop & Bucket Company first began three decades ago, there was a limited scene for improvisational theater in the area. Now actively nurturing the community of actors in the region, the Mopco Improv Theater offers a large selection of improvisational classes for all ages. Many members of their company were originally participants of their classes.
A show at Mopco Improv Theatre offers affordable advantages over traditional Broadway shows. For less than $20, attendees are guaranteed a seat in the first four rows and benefit from free parking. The theater also offers a wide array of concessions to enjoy, from locally made Nine Pin Cider to beer, wine, and soda for less than $10.
“You get to see a Broadway-style show for a movie ticket price in an intimate, relaxed space right here at home!” enthuses Burns. “No travel hassles, fighting through Times Square crowds — it's accessible, fun, original musical theater at an affordable price.”
For more information, visit www.mopco.org