On March 12 and 13, Unity for Action were presenting their fifth annual charity musical called Singing it Out. Everyone was gathered in the Academic Hall to raise money for Operation Coming Home. If you weren’t able to come, here is what you missed:
The Storyline: Singing It Out is about Olivia (played by Elyse Bowers), a science student who hates being in her program. Olivia is forced to be in it because her parents want her to and she refuses to tell them the truth. Her real passion is music, she loves to sing and she joins a club where she gets to be herself. She meets many new friends, including Tyler (played by Jon Constable) who also has a secret. He’s scared to come out to his friends.
I must admit the storyline was pretty basic since it’s one that we’ve heard so many times before, like in High School Musical, but it has a positive message of self-acceptance.
The actors: The production counted 14 actors, where many faces were familiar from last year like Jon Constable and Emily Yong. Indeed, they were only 14, but there was 18 parts and so some actors played multiple roles. To make this show a success, a director named Rebecca Mason, a musical director named Andrea Polgar, and a choreographer named Emily Cordes had to put their effort together. Also, they had help from two assistant directors to make sure everything went perfectly.
Larissa Chiu, one of the assistant directors said: “I’m so grateful to have been able to work with such a wonderful team of directors and talented cast members.”
People may think that the musical was easy to put together, but it’s hard work. Mason said: “We had about two months to get ready for the show and the cast really gave it their all. They were at rehearsal every week ready to work, and it really showed during their performances. I am so proud of all of them.”
The décor: Like last year, the décor was very simplistic. In some scenes, there was a mattress and others there was a table and chairs. However, the stage was great; it was a good idea to have it at the Academic Hall.
The music: The music was very diverse since everyone in the audience could find a song that they knew the lyrics to. Songs like “Born This Way” or “Sweater Weather” really resonated with the audience. The actors’ singing is what made the play so fantastic, especially Allison Hill, who played the role of Olivia’s mother. On that note, it was quite sad that at some moments, the sound system was so loud that we couldn’t hear Jenna Wong, Erica Beauchamp, or one of the lead actors,Elyse Bowers.
Singing It Out was a really good show. It was entertaining and sent out a positive message. If you didn’t know, all the proceeds from the show were given to Operation Coming Home, an organization that helps at-risk youth age 16 and up. This year, they made about $2,000 from ticket sales, food sale, and a silent auction.
We’re all very excited for Unity for Action’s next production!
The pictures were taken by Ahya Kamal, the photographer for Unity for Action.