A "night at the movies" took on a whole new meaning Saturday when the university's own Wisconsin Singers entertained an audience with song-and-dance medleys reflecting both classic and contemporary films. Students, parents and community members flocked to the Union Theater — most still in their Badger football gear — ready for a night at the movies, or at least, a night at the movie soundtracks.
The evening's main attraction was prefaced by the appearance of two high school show choirs, as well as the ever-popular Madhatters. Marshall High School's show choir opened the night with their heartfelt rendition of the Beatles' "There Are Places I Remember." The quiet number failed to kick-start the audience though, and while performing first is always a daunting task, the choir lacked the level of energy expected by the audience. The theater's energy picked up after the Madhatters took the stage, as the a cappella singers prompted the audience to clap and sing along with their version of "All for You" by Sister Hazel. The room's energy continued to rise as Guys and Dolls, singers from Brodhead High School, took the stage and wowed audience members with their professional, energetic performance of the Bon Jovi anthem "You Give Love a Bad Name." The sequin-clad high schoolers served as the perfect lead-in for the Madhatters' second performance, which was complete with a catcall-infused Howie Day ballad. Ending on a high note with a humorous performance of Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight," the Madhatters left the stage. Then the real fun began.
Emceed by Jennifer Streblow, Wisconsin Singers alum and former Miss Wisconsin, the show was laid back and energetic, and the crowd was urged to make noise and participate throughout the performance — nothing like the expected etiquette at a normal movie-going experience. The vocalists took the stage following video clips of favorite movies including Forrest Gump, Harry Potter, Batman and Napoleon Dynamite. Clad in black and pink, the Singers delved into a fun medley of "Hurray for Hollywood," "That's Entertainment" and "Let's Go to the Movies."
With musical selections separated into various genres like Classic Films, Teen Flicks, Movie Musicals and Love and Romance, the highlights of the night were definitely found in the Young at Heart portion of the show. Delighting listeners with everything from selections of "Annie" to "Shrek," the best song was easily Kermit's lament, "It's Not Easy Being Green." Complete with a green costume and the unmistakable Kermit the Frog voice, the song's soloist received cheers from the Union Theater audience. With this portion of the show, the Singers brought the audience back to its childhood and let the lighthearted nature carry on through the rest of the night.
The Wisconsin Singers band, an energetic bunch of brass, bass, piano and drums, reveled in the spotlight during the music-only selections of the night's Best of Jazz and Action Hits portions. Reflecting the detail-oriented aspect of the show, choreography was included in even the band members' solo portions, displaying cohesiveness with the rest of the night.
The Wisconsin Singers reeled their audience in after intermission with the fun and engaging Movie Musicals portion — complete with the group's men dressed as nuns singing "How Do you Solve a Problem Like Maria" and prancing around stage. A quick costume change revealed the performers in bellbottoms and leather fringe, bringing viewers back to the psychedelic '60s, with selections from "Hair" and "Tommy."
The night was rounded out with audience favorites from "Footloose," "Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Moulin Rouge" and "When Harry Met Sally," as well as a notable tribute to Ray Charles with a "Georgia/Hit the Road Jack/What I'd Say/Shake Your Tailfeather" medley. Audience members were, of course, more than pleased with a tribute to Wisconsin, boosted with an appearance by Bucky and audience participation in "Varsity."
The night's entertainment lasted almost three hours, but audience members hardly noticed the long running time thanks to the Singers' high energy, carefree attitude and fun song selections. Their performance, along with those of the other groups showcased, encompassed the very essence of the movies — keeping the audience entertained and engaged.
