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Mirrorbox Theatre trying brand-new thing
Audience encouraged to join in karaoke fun
Diana Nollen
Jan. 17, 2023 6:00 am
At first glance, Wednesday night’s show at Mirrorbox Theatre looks like a departure from the norm, but it actually hits the right notes to fit the mission. It’s a one-night-only karaoke event.
“Batman Returns Returns” was promoted as a karaoke-style musical, and afterward, some people reached out to Mirrorbox founder Cavan Hallman, saying they “would really love to do karaoke in this space,” he noted.
“I always love getting feedback and suggestions,” he said. "For me, though, when I receive a suggestion like that, my first question is, how does this fit into our mission? How can this fit into our mission? How can all of our programming fit into what we're trying to accomplish as a nonprofit?”
If you go
What: “The Karaoke Show: A Brand New Thing”
Where: Mirrorbox Theatre, 1200 Ellis Blvd. NW, Cedar Rapids
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18
Tickets: $5, mirrorboxtheatre.com/karaoke-show-brand-new-thing/
He didn’t see other area troupes staging karaoke, so he decided to put a theatrical spin on the idea, engaging several performers to share 2- to 4-minute monologues and related songs to open the show, then it’s the viewers’ turn to belt out songs of their choice.
The ensemble features Mic Evans, Katie Hallman, Sarah Michels, and Aaron Pozdol — all familiar faces on the Cedar Rapids theater scene. Cavan Hallman will get in on the act, as well, performing “I Want a New Drug,” by Huey Lewis and The News, which he considers to be one of the best bar bands of the 1980s.
“It occurred to me that this idea of pairing songs with personal stories would give us something that speaks directly to our mission (of) telling stories about our contemporary culture, and making sure that we did have a karaoke event that was uniquely ours — and that, again, fulfills our mission,” Hallman said.
“What I'm really excited about is that we do have this programmatic performance element,” he added, “but really, the bulk of the time is dedicated to letting people perform whatever suits their hearts.”
Of course, audience members aren’t required to participate, those seeking the spotlight can make their selections while mingling in the lobby before the show starts.
“The program's part of the evening is the first half-hour, then we move on to the free-for-all karaoke party,” Hallman said, complete with a monitor for the singers, as well as a big screen projecting the lyrics if audience members want to sing along.
“In opening this building, one of the things that we're keeping in the forefront of our mind is how can we feed, build, sustain and grow our community, and identifying and creating events that specifically fulfill that purpose,” Hallman said.
“And so I’m really excited about this element of it, where we get to combine the programs — the presentational part of it — along with the community performance … to bring those together into something that will just be an opportunity for people to have fun.”
Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com