A night of singing, dancing and instrumentals is not usually available to the college student, but this weekend, the Wisconsin Singers will remedy this, performing a decade’s worth of different types of musical genres and dancing styles.
The Wisconsin Singers are the collegiate performance song and dance company here at the University of Wisconsin. They will be performing on campus at the Memorial Union this Friday, Nov. 14 and Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
“It is a spectacular show because [it is] visual from beginning to end,” UW Singers’ artistic director/producer Robin Whitty-Novotny said. “We always put together a brand new show each year.”
The 41st edition show, “Let Us Entertain You!,” will highlight a variety of music and dancing from over the decades. The “Broadway Showstoppers” section will feature different hits from Broadway plays, the “Dance, Dance Revolution” section will feature dances from the past 40 years, and there will also be a “Live in Concert” section focusing on singers ranging from Frank Sinatra to Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake.
“I really like the opening number because it’s upbeat and fun to dance to,” UW sophomore and second year Wisconsin singer Holly Stritchko said. “I think it is a good way to open up what the rest of the show will involve.”
The show includes singing, instrumental and dancing solos from the group, as well as a video element written, produced and filmed by the Wisconsin Singers and Wisconsin Singers alumni. The winners of UW’s Got Talent, Fundamentally Sound and, of course, Bucky will all be present.
The Wisconsin Singers is a primarily student-run group made up of singers from a variety of majors. What draws the members together “is their passion for performing and for the university,” Whitty-Novotny said.
Due to their rigorous performance and travel schedule, Wisconsin Singers’ performance at Memorial Union Theater is a special treat for the campus. Throughout the rest of the year, the Wisconsin Singers travel across the state performing for different high schools and communities.
A typical show is an all-day event: The group loads up the trucks, heads to the performance site, practices, performs, travels back to UW and unloads. The first semester does not have many shows, but once second semester comes, the group may be doing one, two or even three shows per weekend. Although the group requires a large time commitment, Stritchko feels like she’s part of a family and enjoys all the performing.
“Performing is awesome, and it is cool to be able to inspire [people] within the group and audience members,” Stritchko said.
Compared to performing in front of high school students and their families or communities, Stritchko feels a different energy level when performing for college students.
“It is cool to have our own peers sitting out there and to show off what you’ve been doing to the people you walk around with every day,” she said.
“This is the best entertainment [college students] will find here this weekend,” Whitty-Novotny said. “It is a great place to take their parents and also a great place to take a date.”
If you would like more information, visit the Wisconsin Singer’s website at www.wisconsinsingers.com. You can call 608-262-2201 to order tickets. Tickets are $18 each, $10 for students.