The ACU theatre department will rehearse and perform a full-length musical within a 24-hour period this weekend as a charitable fundraiser.
Rehearsals for the show, of which the title will remain a secret until Saturday, will begin on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and the show will be performed on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free but Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre department’s chapter of the national theatre honor society, will accept donations to benefit Living Water International.
Matthew Silar, senior acting and directing major from Chicago, Ill., will direct the show. Silar, treasurer of APO, started 24 HR Musical in his hometown in August of 2011 when he approached a friend about doing a show in a 24-hour period as a fundraiser.
“It went a little bit viral in our community,” Silar said. “People were really jazzed about it””the idea of seeing a show that was put together in only 24 hours and then on top of that it being a charitable event. ”
The first 24 HR Musical production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” raised more than $4,000 for the water crisis. Since then, the 24 HR Musical in Silar’s hometown has produced “All Shook Up” and “The Wedding Singer.”
Rachel Faulkner, senior musical theatre major from Bloomington, Ind., and president of APO, said APO is required to host a charitable fundraiser every year.
“We’ve gone through cycles of what charity event we do and we just never seemed really passionate about many of them,” Faulkner said. “We approached Matt about bringing [24 HR Musical] to the university and he said, ‘Yes.'”
Faulkner said the theatre department is excited about the fundraiser and she hopes it is one APO can continue in the future.
The 24 HR Musical Facebook page has been updating a show countdown list. The list had been reduced to “Godspell,” “Seussical” and “Urinetown” as of Thursday. One of the shows will be performed in Fulks Theatre on Sunday evening.
Silar and Faulkner stated their excitement to share the show with an audience.
“The show is a blast for the audience for two reasons,” Silar said. “When things go wrong, it’s awesome and when things go really right, it’s amazing.”
Silar also said the show will be a memorable one.
“There are going to be be some moments where you’ll forget that it was done in 24 hours,” he said.
