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PRESS RELEASE: 'College The Musical: A Musical About College' Adds Music to the College Experience
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February 6, 2008 -- Music and college are about to collide and this time it is not involving Dave Ma...February 6, 2008 -- Music and college are about to collide and this time it is not involving Dave Matthews Band or OAR.
From Friday, February 15 to Sunday, February 24, actress/singer Kelly Meyersfield and musical comedian Evan Wecksell are combining forces to present "College The Musical: A Musical About College."
Set in present day academia, "College" follows Amy (Meyersfield), a naive freshman, ready to take on college life and all the freedoms that come with it. Enter freshman predator Julius (Wecksell) who uses his fraternity status to his advantage and so begins Amy's roller coaster ride through college.
"College" comes from the minds and music of Meyersfield and Wecksell, married in real life, who each write their own hilarious songs. Wecksell regularly tours colleges performing his original comedy songs so several of his compositions fit right in.
"We took her songs and my songs, wrote a few more songs for the show and Kelly created a whole storyline around them," says Wecksell.
Directing "College" is Actress/Singer/Dancer Lynsey Bartlison, best known for her role on Fox and the CW's "Grounded for Life."
"These two actors are fabulous," says Bartilson. "And they're going to give everyone a great time."
"College The Musical: A Musical About College" opens on Friday, February 15 at The Actor's Playpen in West Hollywood. It runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, February 24.
Tickets are available at www.plays411.com/collegethemusical or by calling (323) 960-4412. Prices are $12 in advance, $15 at the door and $10 for students (promo code 202).
College The Musical Showtimes
The Actor's Playpen, 1514 N. Gardner St, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Friday, February 15/22 @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 16/23 @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, February 17/24 @ 2:00 PM
Director: Lynsey Bartilson
Musical Arranger: Hector Delgado
Stage Manager: Amanda Rogers
For more information on "College The Musical: A Musical About College" visit www.CollegeTheMusical.net or www.myspace.com/collegethemusical.
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Drive by Reviews
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College the Musical. A small local show that two classmates of mine put together, and, unfortunately...College the Musical. A small local show that two classmates of mine put together, and, unfortunately, is now closed. It was a hilarious 60 minute take on college and sexual safety and other shenanigans. My classmates, Evan Wecksell and Kelly Meyersfield, performed 6 characters, intertwined lots of songs and hilarious moments, all the while sending the message that safer sex is smarter sex, and dealt with some of the emotional aspects of being a freshman and looking for love in college. If they do it again, I highly recommend going to see it for a great laugh. On a personal note, it was interesting seeing the message that's directed to folks who are "clean" (i.e., disease free), being somebody who has been HIV+ for 18 years. I must admit there was a bit of a cringe on my part of some of the old shame, but I'm glad that folks are targetting an HIV- audience so that maybe they won't have to deal with what I've gone through. -TT
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USC REVIEW: Relive the 'College' years in a true-to-life musical
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"College the Musical" captures the honest truths of life in college.
By Lauren Barbato
Minut..."College the Musical" captures the honest truths of life in college.
By Lauren Barbato
Minutes before the show began in a cozy blackbox theater in West Hollywood, alternative rock bands such as Dave Matthews and Dashboard Confessional played over the speakers as the audience filed in.
Though rather sparse, the set depicted two dorm rooms quite accurately: The girl's room was complete with a pink laptop case and a single stuffed animal sitting on the bed, while the guy's contained a desk crowded with various alcohol bottles and posters of pop culture icons, such as "Family Guy," hanging on the wall.
As the room darkened, Dave Matthews was replaced by effervescent pop music and an equally bubbly woman, singing to her diary about how she was finally out on her own.
Ever wake up with a stranger in your bed after a long night you hardly remember with a stale taste in your mouth?
Well, so have Evan Wecksell, Kelly Meyersfield and the majority of the student body across the nation.
"College the Musical: A Musical About College" is a hilariously honest musical comedy written and produced by Wecksell and Meyersfield, who are married in real life.
"College" follows Amy (Meyersfield), the bright-eyed freshman who is ready to marry the first frat boy she kisses. One can just imagine Amy's surprise when the hopelessly sleazy Julius (Wecksell) fails to call her back after their night together.
Thus begins Amy's tumultuous college ride, consisting of practically every worst-case scenario possible for an innocent freshman.
Wecksell and Meyersfield sing about it all: the correlation between alcohol and one-night stands, unprotected sex and STDs, Natty Ice and a horrible morning after.
This musical is not for your overprotective, conservative parents, nor is it an imitation of Broadway sensations, such as "Rent" and "Spring Awakening."
"We took her songs and my songs, wrote a few more songs for the show and Kelly created a whole storyline around them," Wecksell stated in the press release.
Crooning to acoustic guitars and '80s synthesizers, "College" keeps it simple. No one is HIV-positive, nor is anyone committing suicide. The show's deepest meaning is not love or death, but merely to wear a condom unless you want to become an "accidental daddy" as Amy affectionately sings.
Wecksell and Meyersfield are fresh, original and raunchy. Whether it's Amy describing her loss of virginity as someone "jamming a baseball bat into a key hole" or Julius expressing that if it wasn't for alcohol, he'd still be a virgin.
To Wecksell and Meyersfield, there are no boundaries.
Both performers are talented in their own right. Singer-actress Meyersfield has an impressive background in theater, film and television, while the musical comedian Wecksell regularly tours colleges performing his original songs.
Meyersfield's voice is easy on the ears with just the right touch of comedic effect. She tops off her na've Amy with quirky dance moves that are complete with fan kicks, jazz hands and interpretive poses.
While Wecksell does not possess a Broadway-bound voice, he has the charm, wit and laugh to keep him afloat. As the freshman predator Julius, the nice-guy residential advisor Ray or Amy's valley girl best friend, Wecksell shines in each role.
Together, with their ridiculous lyrics and movements, the husband and wife team provide a whole bunch of laughs. Even Meyersfield has problems staying in character when opposite her cross-dressing husband. They have a good time, which rubs off on the audience.
While "College" is a brief 45 minutes, the show feels rushed at times. As the lights flooded the little theater, it left me wanting more.
Don't feel like going through the usual drunken moments this weekend? At "College," having a good time does not cost you that hated hangover the following morning.
One will be saying, "Man, if only STDs were this much fun in real life."
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TESTIMONIALS
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"We really enjoyed the show!" - TP
"Laughed my a** off! GREAT!!!!
The writing, songs, performan..."We really enjoyed the show!" - TP
"Laughed my a** off! GREAT!!!!
The writing, songs, performances, etc...SUPER & FUNNY!!!" - RR
"They did things I hadn't seen before... True creativity!" - NL
"Wecksell and Meyersfield are fresh, original and raunchy... there are no boundaries." - The Daily Trojan (USC)
"The lyrics were funny and added to the youthful nature of the performance... The story has a sincere moral element."
- The Daily Bruin (UCLA)
"This show is the greatest of its kind! Entertaining, realistic... AND educational - what more can you ask for? It was so good, I bought the soundtrack. I didn't even do that for Cats."- PH
"I saw this show today and it is hilarious! If you're in LA area you MUST go see it!! Congratulations Evan and Kelly :)" - SL
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Mercer's Late Night Series is back and better than ever
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The open mic talent show features skits, poetry, music and hilarity for free.
By Brendan Bellusci...The open mic talent show features skits, poetry, music and hilarity for free.
By Brendan Belluscio
Artists of all kinds showcased their talents at Mercer's Studio Theatre in another installment of the long-running Late Night Series.
Students and other locals were provided with a free, open-mic opportunity to showcase their talents or see some local entertainment on a cold November night.
Before the showcase began, students congregated around the Studio Theater in anticipation of the show. The Studio Theater has a dark and cozy atmosphere and features seating that is very close to the small stage.
The night's acts included poetry readings, a dramatic monologue, musicians, comedy groups and a featured performance by the Los Angeles- based touring production College the Musical: A Musical About College.
College the Musical: A Musical About College stars Kelly Meyersfield and Evan Wecksell, two veterans of comedy club and college show tours. Written by Meyersfield, the show details the highs and lows of college life and relationships.
According to Wecksell, "the idea for the show came from a play we were trying to make about alcohol awareness. It came out too preachy so it grew into College the Musical."
The show combines comedic musical numbers from Wecksell's solo tours with Meyersfield's creative writing.
"We love playing small crowds. It reminds me of a similar creative space in my hometown," said Wecksell after the show.
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"College," Set to Music
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By Thomas Brandon
With song titles like “Alcohol”, “Accidental Daddy,” and “I’m So Happy You’re C...By Thomas Brandon
With song titles like “Alcohol”, “Accidental Daddy,” and “I’m So Happy You’re Clean,” College The Musical: A Musical About College is anything but shy about its subject matter. Even the title suggests an ironic sensibility ready to skewer a common staple of modern life.
Centering on the loves and lusts of freshman Amy and friends, the show is a collection of (mostly) musical vignettes united more by tone than narrative. It’s a kind of long-form sketch comedy, with the vast majority of the scenes designed as a comedic “shock and awe” campaign, presenting intimate, difficult topics through mock-earnest show tunes. The juxtaposition of overly-descriptive lyrics with the melody of a sensitive ballad is funny at first, but most of the songs aim for the same effect and, as a result, start to run together.
Though slightly one-dimensional, the material is buoyed by the genuine likeability of its two performers, Kelly Meyersfield and Evan Wecksell. Both have an easy presence on stage, and they are clearly having fun. Wecksell (in multiple roles) comes across like someone you’re sure you’ve already met in real life. Meyersfield (also tackling multiple characters) feels like something all her own, a combination of fierce and bubbly with a touch of anarchy in her eyes.
After so much cheerful cynicism all around, the resolutions of the various storylines feel forced and don’t match the satiric heights of earlier moments. The final result is often clever, but never really moves beyond the novelty of its own mischief.
supersonic
