By Ana Carolina Delena Cury, Contributing Writer
On Feb. 4, Stevens Theater turned into a Broadway show full of dance, music, drama and talent. The “YAWDAORB,” or Broadway backwards, presentation was hosted by the Student Musical Theater Club (SMuT), which is not affiliated with the theatre department.
17 students showed their performances individually, in pairs, and groups. The audience was transported to many different musicals, such as “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Les Miserables” and “The Phantom of the Opera.” Stevens Theater was filled with people, so extra seats were added for audience members to see the performances.
The show featured a variety of art, singing, dancing, guitar and even cello performances. Students put a lot of effort into their work, adapting famous musicals according to their voice and range, dance style and musical instruments.
Regarding his experience as a performer Ryan Melinn ’26 said, “It was a low-pressure environment to just do a song as an experiment—it didn’t have to be perfect, or memorized, or the best performance of your life. We all just picked something we thought would be funny, or something we wanted to do but couldn’t because of whatever constraints stopped us (typically gendered roles).”
For instance, “Waving through a Window” from “Dear Evan Hansen” is usually presented in a pop/theatrical form. Nevertheless, Thomas Lynch IV ’24 transformed the song into an amazing opera aria.
Rin Stevenson ’24 performed “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from Grease as a rhythmic and contagious tap dance.
The duos and trios also entertained the audience with breathtaking musical performances and funny moments.
Hayden Johnston ’25, Melinn and Elliot Wakefield ’26 excited the audience with the “Candy Store” performance from “Heathers.”
Melinn explained his gratitude for the performance opportunity provided by “YAWDAORB.”
“[Candy Store is] an iconic song that we typically wouldn’t get the chance to perform, but because of the twisted aspect of ‘YAWDAORB’ we were able to do it,” shared Melinn.
In an emotional performance, Devyn Wesolowski ’25 and Katie Poliero ’25 touched the audience’s heart singing “Agony” from “Into the Woods.”
After a show full of talent, harmony and entertainment, all performers gathered to sing “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman.”
Audience member Joshua Fackler ’26 recalled, “I thought that the concept was very well executed, and the performers were amazing in their songs. The fact that the whole premise was to change up how people perceive Broadway music worked very well, and I enjoyed it a lot.”
Student Musical Theater is planning to hold more events this semester, including a production of “The Addams Family” on Mar. 31 at 7:30 p.m. and April 1 at 2 p.m. in the CUB Ballroom.
