Department of Theatre has begun preparation for its 24 HR Musical in March.
Theatre students will have 24 hours to rehearse and perform the musical. Until March 21 at 7 p.m., only the leadership team will know what the musical is about. Casting and preparation for the leadership team began Sunday.
“We keep the show a secret until the day of the performance,” said Joel Edwards, 24 HR Musical producer and artistic director. “This is true even for cast members which means that they must learn the entire musical in 24 hours with no preparation work.”
Edwards, junior musical theatre major from Tyler, is in charge of leading the leadership team, securing musical rights, organizing the production and making sure each part of the production comes together well.
The show will take place March 22 at 7 p.m.
Kelsey Brown, junior theatre directing major from League City, will co-direct the show. She will stage the large ensemble numbers and scenes and coordinate the schedule for the 24 hours and be stage manager during the production.
24 Hour Musical is an established company based out of Chicago and was founded by ACU alum Matthew Silar. This is the second year ACU will produce the show. It is put on as a charity fundraiser by Alpha Psi Omega.
Last year, at ACU, the musical raised more than $900 for the water crisis. One hundred percent of the donations given at the free performance will be given to Living Water International, a nonprofit organization that builds wells in Africa.
The theatre department’s goal is to give students a chance to use theatre to serve others, and having a fundraiser musical is a way to obtain that goal.
“When people are weak, they have no choice but to rely on Jesus,” Edwards said. “There is nothing as exciting as seeing someone quietly being a servant or someone stepping up to take care of an issue at 5:15 a.m.”
Brown and Edwards said the show takes a lot of work and effort and can be a stressful process, especially with the lack of sleep.
“There is something so exhilarating about watching an entire musical come together in 24 hours,” Edwards said. “Every dance step, every note and every line is learned within that time period, and when it finally comes together just minutes before show time, it is truly breathtaking.”
