Arts & Entertainment
February 13, 2020
9
The Merionite
Perfect pitch
PLAYERS through the years
Angela Ge ’23
Mark Bluemle ’21
Did you know that LM has an array of a cappella groups, otherwise known as LMAC? A cappella is a form of musical performance in which a group or solo artist sings without
tational, a larger investigation was needed to hear to what the members of the club had to say regarding a cappella as an art form. The first member interviewed was O’Bannon, who is
Photos Courtesy of The Enchiridion
The members of Aces Harmony rehearsing in the music room determined to put on a stellar performance for the Amazing Ace. instrumental accompaniment. currently in her fourth year at However, what is unique about LMAC. When asked what makes LMAC is that the arrangement a cappella so remarkable, she of the groups change yearly. In noted, “one person is not in conthe past, LM has organized many trol of the rest of the group and groups including Standard Voic- you all come together, combines, Ars cantiqua, Ace’s Angels, ing only trust and some basic and currently, a co-ed group, Ace rules about music and music theHarmony. This ensemble focuses ory to create something altogethon contemporary a cappella, but er.” Lila Elkins ’23 also offered they also perform other styles like her thoughts on this question: “A barbershop and traditional glee cappella is different than other club material. Ace Harmony has forms of music because all of the sixteen members and the student sound comes from your mouth!” officers are Lewis Kothmann ’20, When asked about the future Noah Scher ’21, and Rachel For- of this art form, O’Bannon, man ’21. LMAC performs at var- “believes a cappella, since the rise ious events throughout the year, of the commonly-known music such as the upcoming LMAC group, Pentatonix, and the movie
Photos Courtesy of The Enchiridion
The Aces Harmony crew jumps for joy at one of their rehearsals. Winter Invitational on Wednesday, February 12, and the Amazing Ace competition two weeks after that. For the LMAC Winter Invitational, LM invites many local schools like Cheltenham, Baldwin, Germantown Friends, and Harriton to come perform various pieces from their repertoire and share their music together as a community. Brigit O’Bannon ’20 mentioned, “I love the invitationals because we kind of give up the standard of behaviour for a concert. It is a really great way to bring people together.” After learning about LMAC and their Winter Invi-
Pitch Perfect over the course of the last decade, is growin in popularity, but I do not believe enough people are aware of or familiar with it. I think it has so much potential to grow and gain popularity.” A capella is such a special art form because one’s voice is something that they can take with them everywhere they go, and without the mechanical restrictions of an instrument, the possibilities are endless for a variety of creative opportunities. As our understanding not only for this art form but for music itself grows, we will learn to appreciate a cappella on a deeper level.
From timeless, iconic musicals such as feet in the air.” With the success of publicity, Chicago, West Side Story, and The Addams every night had a full house filled with amazFamily, to artistic blackbox shows ranging ing and interactive crowd reactions. At interfrom Macbeth to Much Ado about Nothing, mission, snack lines were always packed and and mainstage comedies like Red Herring and the cheers at the end of the show kept getNoises Off, PLAYERS has done it all. Since its ting bigger as the actors took their final bows. founding fifty five years ago, PLAYERS has Besides the musicals and their challengput on countless shows, featuring hundreds of es and successes, blackbox shows are some of students’ hard work. Over the past ten years, the most artistic and hard-to-put-on shows for specifically, PLAYERS has evolved and suc- PLAYERS. From the small sets to the limited ceeded in creating some amazing products with lighting plots, creating a cohesive world for the game-changing costumes, sets, and technology. audience to observe is a lot of work, but the In 2010, PLAYERS kicked off the decade final product always turns out great. One of with the well-known the most artistic musical of Urineunique shows this town. And yes, they decade was Much did it again eight Ado About Nothing years later. Musicals (2018). The coshave always been tumes were one of held on the maina kind and diverstage in the auditogent for this unique rium. At this time, blackbox drama. however, LM was As this play was set in the processing in the iconic era of of constructing the the 1980s, costume new building. Bedesigners, Camryn Photo Courtesy of LMPLAYERS.com cause of this transiAmen ’18 and Chloe tion, they could not The crew of LM PLAYERS’ hard at work Amen ’20, had the designing on the set for the production of hold a unique protask of making Yerma. duction on the stage. these costumes fit Instead, the wildly hilarious and intricately the time period. This was something PLAYdetailed show was performed in the Blackbox. ERS hadn’t yet done, and with a Shakespeare Global Studies teacher John Grace, the head play set in such a distinctive time period, the coach of PLAYERS, has been through every designers really had to tap into the fads and production ranging all the way from the fall of culture of the 80s. They did that through ex2002. Grace said: “What was so cool about the ploring the vibrant colors and distinct fashion first production of Urinetown in the blackbox like puffy sleeves and baggy pants, while also is that it accomplished two things. To start off, making sure hair and makeup was at its biggest it resolved how well PLAYand boldest. All in all, ERS transitioned into new this show demonstratbuilding. This was done ed how well PLAYERS because the main theater could take a show as wasn’t functional yet —as classic as Shakespeare they were still building it.” and transform it into a He then went on to describe flashy 80s masterpiece. how it proved the flexibilThe future of PLAYity of PLAYERS by saying ERS is strong and it was a wise decision to promising, especially pick a show that we could with its upcoming show do in the Blackbox. “The already in the works. second reason being with This April, PLAYERS some things not ready to will be putting on The go—PLAYERS was rockin’ Complete Works of and it was exciting to put William Shakespeare on a show in the blackbox.” (abridged). This comThis was a pivotal part of edy centers on people PLAYERS history because making fun of Shakeit showed the full capability speare while having of what the cast and crew audience interactions Photo Courtesy of LMPLAYERS.com could really accomplish. throughout the show, LM PLAYERS composed a production Most recently, PLAYand doing improv of Yerma during the spring of the 2017ERS put on one of the as the time comes. 2018 school year. most well-known musiThis style of show is cals in Broadway history, Chicago. This tells unique, and something PLAYERS doesn’t do a story of Roxie Hart (Noa Webner ’20) and often. Having the opportunity to participate in Velma Kelly’s (Amalia Schneider ’20) fight to this kind of production, therefore, gives amazfame. This show is iconic, especially in the way ing opportunities to actors, designers, and that PLAYERS reenacted it. One of the most members of crews to try new aspects of theater. incredible aspects of the show that comes to Grace said that he is excited to see wait awaits mind was the set. Set Designer Max Fishman for PLAYERS, especially with the debate sur’22 says that “the hardest part of making the set rounding school start times coming to an end. was that it was massive. It took lots of commu- “I think that means that if the school board nication with everyone and it was a really hard pushed back start times, then I’m excited to task. The most accomplishing achievement see how PLAYERS will maintain the level of was the show orchestra on stage. In Chicago, excellence that with their reputation and how we had eight, ten, and twelve foot platforms it will adjust, but if there’s no decision, then it that could fit all of shorch on stage - twelve is always exciting is to see what comes next.”
