8 improvisers, 4 musicians, and 4 lighting technicians working together to showcase a musical created on the
spot - what could possibly go wrong?
Off Key: An Improvised Musical hits Vancouver's The Cultch this May as part of Upintheair Theatre's rEvolver Theatre Festival, which showcases adventurous, high energy, and sophisticated new work created by emerging companies and artists. Produced by local groups Off Key Improv and Lost Light Productions, Off Key: An Improvised Musical is just what its name suggests, a one-act musical in which all elements - plot, characters, music, lyrics, choreography and lighting - are completely made up on the spot.
"We begin the show by asking the audience for a title, and then ride that train wherever it takes us," says Jennifer Pielak, founder, Artistic Director and cast member of Off Key Improv. "We always hear questions about how much of our musicals are actually improvised. The answer is that truly nothing is planned and we have no idea what to expect from show to show, meaning each audience is part of a unique experience."
"It's fun to see what titles our audiences come up with - we never know what to expect," says Musical Director and pianist Peter Abando. An in-demand musician in the local musical theatre scene, Peter is also a co-founder of Off Key. "One night we might end up performing a fun-loving Hairspray-type show, then the next shift to a darker theme, or something reminiscent of other popular musicals like Chicago or West Side Story - or something different entirely. There are no limits!"
Since its inception in 2012, Off Key has been attracting a growing following in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland for its unique and captivating mix of music, improvisation and comedy. For this series at the festival, Off Key has teamed with Lost Light Productions, an emerging local theatre production company that aims to push the limits of the interactions between technical elements and performers on stage.
"Our lighting technicians will be improvising along with the performers and musicians in Off Key: An Improvised Musical. Our job is to respond to and also drive forward the stories being created onstage." says Jordan Boivin, one of the lighting technicians for the show and co-founder of Lost Light Productions.
Off Key: An Improvised Musical runs from May 14th-18th at The Cultch (Historic Theatre), 1895 Venables St., Vancouver (see website for showtimes). Single tickets $15 ($19 with GST and service charges) or 3-show festival pass $39 ($45 with GST and service charges). Ticket information is available at 604.251.1363 or tickets.thecultch.com. FESTIVAL WEBSITE:
revolverfestival.ca | OFF KEY WEBSITE:
offkeyimprov.com.
