In the depths of the George Sherman Union basement, Boston University’s own improvisation group, Liquid Fun, hosted their very first winter musical. An improv musical? I didn’t expect it could be done.
Walking in, I was offered liquid courage (not like that — just a can of Liquid Death water) and stickers to remember this monumental event by. More importantly, I was handed a playbill of the musical — a pamphlet which included all the critical information on the improv cast, their names, pictures, and a question mark where their character name would be. Clever, I thought.
Despite getting there only a few minutes after the recommended arrival time, all the seats in the crowd were filled with intrigued students and loyal Liquid Fun supporters. Weaving through the audience, I made my way to the back of the room in search of a foldable chair, my curiosity at an all time high for the show I was about to witness.
Soon enough, the lights dimmed, quieting the audience’s buzz of anticipation. It began.
The spotlight followed performers as they reached out to the crowd, asking for suggestions which would act as the main theme throughout the whole musical.
One member of the crowd piped up, suggesting that the musical focus around teenagers on a balcony. That’s when the show really began.
The thing about improv is you never know what will happen next. It is completely unpredictable, things could go incredible or they could go really wrong. Luckily for the audience (and the performers), things did not go wrong for Liquid Fun.
All eight members of the group shared the stage with one another in a random fashion, each creating unique characters and scenarios that carried the musical from start to finish.
The performers managed to create a cohesive plot line of pure silliness, going above and beyond my expectations. Semi-coordinated song and dance accompanied this plot, and though it wasn’t perfect, the fact it went smoothly in any capacity is a feat in itself. Simply attempting to do fully improvised musical numbers takes genuine skill that few performers have.
As the night drew on, I was utterly entertained by the group’s combination of improvisation and musical abilities. Who would’ve thought you could combine the two?
To my delight, Liquid Fun managed to fill the entire room with robust laughter and maintain their reputation as one of the funniest improv groups on campus.
Despite my initial skepticism about their ability to pull off an improv musical, the show has made me a dedicated supporter of Liquid Fun.
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