Last Wednesday, the show Broadway’s Next H!t Musical, made a stop in Logan during their national tour. The musical is based entirely of improv where the cast makes the show up on the spot. The cast uses improv to not only learn more about the community they are performing for, but to also create a connection with the audience members.
The musical starts with the audience coming up with song titles, writing their ideas on pieces of paper and placing them in a bowl. The cast then randomly picks four of the songs titles and makes up an original song right then and there. After they perform the four songs, the audience votes on their favorite for what are called the Phony Awards-a spoofy take on the Tony awards. The winning song is then made into a full musical. Every time the cast performs the results are unique, never to be performed again. Greg Triggs is the emcee for the musical and said this approach creates a unique connection between the audience and the performers.
“I think my favorite part of the show is watching the audience realize that we’re making it up around their ideas, but more importantly, the community sensibilities, the specific things that make that audience unique," Triggs said. "The community, what their thinking about, who they are, it’s all going to inform our choices.”
Connection is one of the reasons Triggs thinks comedy and improv are important and relevant in today’s society.
“I think we’re going through a phase where maybe we don’t laugh together enough," Triggs said. "And we’re seeing what happens to the world in that case. I think laughter in it’s best sense unifies people, it gives them something that we’re all enjoying together instead of something that divides people.”
After connecting this week with their Utah audience, some members of the spontaneous cast will visit Yellowstone National Park to connect with the outdoors and the parks unique scenery.
