Central Nebraskans will have the opportunity to see 12 Broadway shows in one night Saturday -- or at least portions of 12 shows.
Grand Island Little Theatre will be performing "Broadway Today" Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at College Park as their annual fundraising production.
The production will include a cast of 40 that will include men, women and children. There will be 12 different shows, casts, scripts and settings.
"It's not karaoke," said Berice Rosenberg, one of the directors. "There will be a full-blown production of each song and dance number. There will be different sets for each song and show."
Songs will be performed from current Broadway hits. This should be attractive to local audiences, she said.
"It allows the Grand Island area the chance to see some of these productions that they wouldn't have had a chance to see unless they went to Broadway," Rosenberg said. "The shows are so new that we can't do the entire show because they're still running or the rights are too expensive."
"Broadway Today" will feature songs from "Rent," "Mama Mia," "Spamalot," "Phantom of the Opera," "The Little Mermaid," "Wicked," "Jersey Boys," "Avenue Q," "The Producers," "Annie," "The Lion King" and "Chicago."
"You will see some favorites and some new songs and people," co-director Mindy Mangus said. "This song may be one you know well enough to sing along to, and the very next may be one you haven't heard."
Rosenberg said her favorites are the songs from "Wicked," which is a musical about what happened in the land of Oz before Dorothy landed there. The songs from "Mama Mia" are also very popular.
"We'll perform 22 songs from 12 different shows," she said. "It's sort of like the Nebraska weather. If you hear a song you don't like, wait 5 minutes and then we'll do one of your favorites."
The musical revue of "Broadway Today" is a new venue for GILT. Rosenberg said they decided to try it because many actors are so busy in the summer that their time is limited.
Auditions for the show were in June, she said, then music was handed out and the cast didn't meet together again until two weeks before the show.
"We were able to enjoy the summer without having to rehearse a lot," Rosenberg said. "It went over very well with performers and directors."
She said that 75 percent of the performers in "Broadway Today" are GILT veterans. That means there will also be some new performers.
In addition to the show, which begins at 7:30 p.m., there will be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for "Broadway Today" are $18 or $30 for a couple. They are available at the GILT box office at College Park or by calling 382-2586.
IF YOU GO
GILT's "Broadway Today"
- When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16
- Tickets: $18 or $30 per couple, available at GILT box office at College Park or by calling 382-2586 or at the door.
