The Broadway Series at Reynolds Performance Hall begins today with "101 Years of Broadway." The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m.

Composer and lyricist Neil Berg produced the show to create an original production containing some of Broadway's classics such as The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Evita, Cats, Wonderful Town, Jesus Christ Superstar and Fiddler on the Roof. The stars from those shows will perform their songs in tonight's production.

"101 Years of Broadway" is the most popular Broadway musical touring the nation. It was performed in more than 120 cities last year. 

The version of tonight's show will feature Ray McLeod (Wreck, Wonderful Town), Rita Harvey (Christine, The Phantom of the Opera), Carter Calvert (It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues), Danny Zollii (Jesus, Jesus Christ Superstar) and Erick Buckley (Marius and Jean Valjean, Les Miserables).

"101 Years of Broadway is a great show because it combines the best moments of some of the most loved Broadway shows,” Catherine Markenke, director of marketing and development for the College of Fine Arts and Communication, said. “It will be a wonderful show for families and also a great show for a date night or girls' night out."

Tickets are available to students for $10  at the UCA Ticket Central Box Office. They are $30-$40 for adults, $27-$37 for senior citizens, $25-35 for alumni and $28-$33 for faculty and staff.

The play came to campus as part of a national tour from New York that began in Jackson, Miss., last September and ends in New Haven, Conn., next month. It has played to sold-out audiences at almost every stop. The musical is based on the 2001 movie by the same name.

It tells the story of Elle Woods, played by Nikki Bohne, a sorority girl who enrolls in Harvard Law School chasing her ex-boyfriend. She finds much more than she expected. Bohne essentially carried the show, maintaining the high energy level through the final curtain. Her colorful costumes, vibrant dance moves and enchanting voice delighted the audience.

When she applies to Harvard, she doesn't send the traditional personal essay. She jumps through the door, clad in a sequined drum major outfit and high-heeled boots declaring she is "What You Want." The scene becomes a highly choreographed dance sequence involving the entire cast.

The show included several big production numbers. It opened with Elle and her sorority sisters singing "Omigod You Guys" on a stage filled with bright colors and a flying set. The audience sighed when her puppy, a chihuahua named Bruiser, took the stage. The number "So Much Better" that ended the first act stunned the crowd.

The second act continued the energy and excitement. The crowd cheered for the song "Bend and Snap" and the show took a flamboyant turn with "There! Right There!"

The audience stood and applauded as the cast took its curtain call.

As the cast of 29 took their bow, the crowd could no longer remain on the edge their seats. They rose to their feet in cheers, whistles and applause.

The colorful costumes and catchy music drew the audience into the production but the stunning voices of the cast captivated them. It was a showcase of the talents of our students.

Under the direction of Chris Fritzges, assistant professor of theater, "Urinetown" tells the story of a water-deprived city where people are forced to pay for the use of public toilets controlled by a monopoly called Urine Good Company. People who disobey the ban are sent to Urinetown where they are killed.

One of the audience's favorite characters was Little Sally, one of the poor citizens, who made people laugh with her witty lines and wacky outbursts. The crowd also responded to the scene in which the play's hero, Bobby Strong, who works as a urinal attendant, starts a "pee-for-free" revolt.

"I thought it was pretty good," senior Doris Wong said. "It was very entertaining. It definitely caught my attention."

Dana Lee, a senior digital-film major who played the role of one of the poor citizens, said the reaction of the audience made all the hours of rehearsal worthwhile.

"Urinetown" is the UCA Theatre's last production this semester.

The curtain call at Thursday night's show

The curtains open at 7:30 p.m. in the Bridges/Larson Theater in the Snow Fine Arts Center. The play will be performed again at 7:30 p.m. Friday and at the same time and place next Wednesday through Friday.

Under the direction of Chris Fritzges, assistant professor of theater, "Urinetown" tells the story of a water-deprived city where people are forced to pay for the use of public toilets controlled by a monopoly called “Urine Good Company” and, yes, the pun is intended. If citizens disobey the ban, they are sent to Urinetown. Actually, there is no such thing as Urinetown. People are just killed. Bobby Strong, the main character who works at a urinal, is the hero who starts "pee-for-free" rebellions.

The two-act comedy exposes greed, love and revolution. There is only a rich class and a poor class in this sinister city, revealing its corruption.

Greg Kotis, the playwright, was inspired to write the musical when he was traveling in Europe and had to pay to use the bathrooms. He collaborated with Mark Hollman, who composed the music for "Urinetown," and the play soon emerged on Broadway.

“The theme of this play is mainly good versus evil," Fritzges said. "The performance style is big, broad and exaggerated. It’s a musical that makes fun of other musicals.”

Fritzges said he chose to set the play in Gotham City, a 1930s era New York-style city.

Fritzges said he began working on "Urinetown" with its cast of 29 in early September.

“I became interested in this musical because I am a big fan of the highly exaggerated comedic force of farce," he said. "I love to hear audiences laugh.”

According to Fritzges, there is no such thing as a small musical. He works with musicians, music directors, choreographers and others to set up an organized working process. Students also learn how to use wood and to cut steel to make platforms and other scenery. Costumes for the musical also were designed by students.

"Urinetown" is the final production by UCA Theatre this season.

“I’ve seen three productions of this show," said Greg Blakey, assistant professor of theater. "It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen."

All students get two free tickets to the production. Tickets are $10 for the general public. They are available at Reynolds Performance Hall.

The Friday night production of “Cabaret” put on by the independent Windwood Theatricals touring company, part of UCA Public Appearances, was beautiful. From the set to the cast of this 12-time Tony award-winning production, the energy was electric in Reynolds Performance Hall.

Set in 1929 Berlin, the production explores the relationships among a complex cast of characters, including an American writer, a Nazi, an elderly boarding house landlady, a fruit store owner and a spunky lounge singer. The intrigues builds with the relationship between the American and the singer.

However, the story is anything but innocent. With risqué dancers and talk of homosexuality and threesomes, the musical was very sexually open. The emcee was by far the most entertaining character, providing comic relief with his crazy quips and teasing audience members. At one point, he told a woman in the audience to stand up and show her “tush.”

The most suggestive musical number, called “Two Ladies,” was one of the flashiest and best performances of the night. It revolved around the emcee being with two Kit Kat girls at once. Though it may seem highly offensive to some, it fit perfectly with the tone of the first act of the musical. Some audience members must have found the material offensive. Many people left after the first act.

In the second act, the characters become disillusioned with their relationships and the play takes a tragic turn. It is during this act that Sally, the lounge singer, sings the title song with tears in her eyes. For the final somber touch, it becomes harder and harder for the emcee to stay optimistic and, at the end, repeats the line about no troubles at the club with such insincerity that it breaks your heart.

The two acts in “Cabaret” almost seem like two separate plays. Very similar in style to the famed musical “Into the Woods,” it begins with a happy, light-hearted first act and ends with heart-wrenching reality. The first act is meant to be flashy and put the audience into the fun-loving mindset of the characters – life is just a cabaret and why should we worry? Yet, living in oblivion can only last so long and the heaviness of that realization rested on the audience like it should have. The first act, however, went surprisingly slow and lacked the depth of the second half, which really sold the production.

The performances were extraordinary, most notably “Don’t Tell Mama” with Sally and the Kit Kat girls, “The Money Song” with Sally and the emcee and “Cabaret” with Sally. The orchestra in the background was flawless, the set had all the appropriate gaudiness of a 1929 night club and the costuming was deliciously sensuous.