Justin Stimac / Contributing Photographer
Off Broadway On Campus (OBOC) performed their spring concert, “Live from Studio OBOC: A Musical Theatre Revue,” last Friday. The performance included numbers from musicals such as “The Lion King,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Chicago,” “Les Misérables,” “Next to Normal,” and several others.
For those who don’t know what OBOC is, it’s the University’s only musical theater group, making it one of a kind. One unique aspect of OBOC is that in every show, it allows anyone to perform in select pieces with no audition required. Moreover, all numbers are original student- directed skits written by OBOC members. The pit orchestra is composed entirely of student musicians. Originally founded in 1997 by David LaPrairie, the group was created in 1998. Just one year later, OBOC became recognized by the Students’ Association, causing more fans to fill the audience.
As it was OBOC’s spring show, this was the last chance for seniors Sophie Esquier, Trevor Filer, Erika Howard, Jon Yang, Caitlin Lischer, Mike Moll, and Jarred Lentine to perform. In their swan song, “Twenty Something,” the seniors performed with great enthusiasm and heart.
With the seniors leaving, the spring show meant that the freshmen and new members of OBOC would need to perform on par with older members as they will need to carry the weight of performing next year. Needless to say, the freshmen came out strong, with outstanding performances from freshmen Christian Freitas, Sam Schick, Mariah Roberts, and the other freshmen.
The atmosphere of the show was simply brilliant. OBOC was definitely ready to put on a show, and the audience was thrilled. The choreography, the lights, and the performances were packaged so well together with a mixture of both light and dark scenes. Their performance of “Reefer Madness,” featuring sophomore Kyle Critelli, was most certainly a crowd pleaser, and it had me wanting more.
OBOC’s performance of “Just Another Day” from “Next to Normal” was also one of my favorites. Featuring a family of four, the performance was exceptional, enabling the audience to feel the drama and witness the dedication of the performers.
When asked what she thought of the show, OBOC member and freshman Bethany Lennox replied, “With it being my first semester in OBOC, being part of such a large show that really came together at the end was a great experience, and I look forward to taking part in it again.”
That said, I think that OBOC is definitely a group to be on the lookout for next year, and their fall show next year will be something you don’t want to miss.
With a remarkable spring performance behind them, OBOC will continue to improve and live up to the University’s motto, Meliora.
Stimac is a member of the class of 2016.
