History:
The UMBC Musical Theatre Club was founded in the Fall of 2006 by Mikey Cafarelli and Kelly Fey. Prior to the club's creation, musical theatre was practically non-existent on the UMBC campus. The club's creation brought a new dimension to the UMBC arts community. During its first year, the club produced two highly successful shows. In Fall 2006, over 20 students participated in the musical showcase, A Night at the Movies, which featured songs from movie musicals or musicals inspired by movies. Each act chose and staged their performance with help of student directors. Students performed on the Sports Zone Stage in the Commons to a sold-out crowd of over 125 people. Following the success of the showcase, the club set out to mount a full musical production, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. 10 students were cast in the production, led by an all-student production staff. After 2 months of rehearsal, the show opened to a sold-out preview exclusively held for the UMBC community. The show ran for 4 nights over a two-weekend period to an audience of UMBC students and other members of the community.
Current Year:
During the Fall of 2007, the MTC produced its 2nd annual showcase, featuring Tony Award-winning musical numbers. In April 2008, we'll be having a production of Sondheim's Company. (More information on that can be found on the "Shows" page.) We will hold at least one fundraising campaign during each semester, to help offset the cost of producing our shows. In the Spring semester, the MTC will be hosting a campus-wide Performing Arts Festival, featuring performances from many of the performing arts groups in the UMBC community. We hope to spread greater awareness of the lesser-known UMBC arts community.
Getting involved:
There are several ways to get involved and support the UMBC Musical Theatre Club. Students can attend our weekly meetings, held on Mondays during free hour in Math/Psych, Room 106, to find out information on current projects and meet other club members. Auditions for our semester production are held during the first two weeks of each semester. Applications for production staff positions are available in the last few weeks of the preceding semester. Musicians of all instruments are encouraged to contact the Musical Theatre Club to inquire about upcoming music opportunities. Fundraisers are held throughout the year, and can include bake sales, pizza sales, car washes, and other events. Donations are always accepted. Members of the MTC are also available for individual performances.
