This year, the Red Curtain Revue has a variety of genres being represented —rock, jazz, classical and pop— all squeezed into a two-hour show.

CWU’s Red Curtain Revue is an annual theatre performance that features a collection of solo pieces and group numbers from various productions to showcase the talent within the CWU theatre program. 

“As someone who is not at all a dancer, the experience of dancing on stage in so many numbers in invaluable,” Jackson Smith, a transfer student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) musical theatre program, said.  

Easton Benson, a freshman who plans on joining the program, agrees that the dancing and choreography was difficult. “The most challenging aspect for me has been the dancing. I’m not a good dancer and it was very challenging learning all the dances,” Benson said. “But I’ve been working really hard, and I think it’s paid off.”

The practice structure and environment is one that director Terri Brown is very serious about. The cast all agrees that the dancing and singing are the most important elements.

“It’s pretty rigid, simply because those are the things that have to be right and be the same” Benson said.  

Christopher Jackson, a junior in the BFA musical theatre program, also pointed out “a lot of these numbers are directed and choreographed by students within the department and those rehearsals tend to be more open ended.”

Jackson noted how dedication is a huge factor for the performers. “Hands down finding the time to balance schoolwork and rehearsal [has been the most difficult]. It gets incredibly stressful trying to figure out when to get homework done when you are rehearsing twenty hours a week.”

Jackson also explained that “with the big group numbers, the rehearsal structure is much more rigid in order to improve how efficiently our rehearsal time is spent.” Smith added that “it is vitally important that everyone is ready to work every day they come to rehearsal.”

As the performers prepare for the rapidly approaching performance dates, all of them are incredibly excited for their chance to perform. “I love the emotional power that music has, so being in a show where I can explore all of the different ways music can impact the human heart is fascinating to me,”  Jackson said. Benson added, “I am most excited for my family to come and see my first college performance. They’ve always supported me in all my theater endeavors, and this has been such a new and exciting adventure for me.”

The cast of The Red Curtain Broadway Revue must rely on and trust one another in order to create something beautiful for their audiences. As for Smith, he is most excited about, “being able to perform on stage with so many new friends for the first time. The experience is great, but it’s made so much richer being able to work with such awesome people.”

The Red Curtain Revue will open tonight at 7:30 p.m. and will continue until Sunday Nov. 20 when there will be a matinee show at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are priced at $12 for general admission, $10 for seniors and students, and $7 for CWU students with their IDs.