The show is presented by Held2gether, a Long Beach-based improv troupe and comedy school. Broken Legs: An Improvised Musical is a fully improvised performance that will garner suggestions from the audience and spontaneously unfold its story on the spot.
The actors on stage will discover the story right along with the audience, said Emily Formentini, a cast member of the musical show.
“It is completely improvised based off of a one-word suggestion from the audience,” Formentini said. “Through a series of scenes, we introduce characters and begin to develop their stories. Then, we begin to figure out how these characters’ lives are related and why we are telling their story. Much like a scripted musical, you will see a complete story and go on a journey with the characters. We’ll be discovering it right along with you!”
This isn’t the first time Broken Legs has been performed in Long Beach. Last summer, the Expo Arts Center bore witness to Held2gether’s improv performance of Artichoke! The Musical— “Artichoke” was the one-word audience suggestion.
Artichoke! The Musical received a largely positive reaction, according to the comedy group. This prompted the return of the improv format this year in the form of three shows: April 9, May 14 and June 11.
Many of the cast members who are performing this April were also part of last summer’s show. The crowd response was thrilling, humbling and incredible, according to the cast.
“The reception was tremendous,” said Darren Held, CEO of Held2gether and cast member of Broken Legs. “We had nearly 100 people in our tiny little theatre— standing room only— and they were roaring.
Everyone was so impressed. They couldn’t believe it wasn’t scripted, which is the greatest compliment you can get. The demand for more was overwhelming.”
Richard Martinez, who is part of the cast, admits there is a sense of intimidation in living up to the success of last year’s Broken Legs show, but “we’ve got more troupe members involved, we’ve worked on different musical styles and formats and, most importantly, we’re having even more fun in the rehearsal process.”
The cast of this year’s musical will include Formentini, Held, Martinez, Brigette Hecht, Beth Cunningham, Brian Duarte, Aimee LaRue, Tracy Araujo and Joe Massie and will be directed by Scott Saegesser.
The story, the songs, the dances— everything will be made up on the stage by the performers during the show. Members of the cast said they literally have nothing to rehearse, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some sort of structure to the madness.
Held said it’s the same as getting ready for any other show: “practice, practice, practice.”
“Scott (the director) has regular rehearsals with us where we try out different musical techniques and play with a variety of suggestions,” Held said. “Since it’s different every time, it’s good to have a pocket full of song elements we can play with! We have an opening number, a closing number and scenes that build up to a resolution. But as far as who we are going to play in those scenes, and who’s going to sing what, it remains a complete mystery. It all comes from that one word from the audience.”
The performance, by default, is entitled Broken Legs. The official title of the show is not set until the audience gives its suggestion.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-2.23.06-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Cast members Emily Formentini and Beth Cunningham swivel through some twists and turns during Broken Legs: An Improvised Musical. ” captionposition=”left”] Last year, the audience suggested “Artichoke;” this year, it’s a mystery. And with three separate performances, each show will have a unique title and presentation. Saegesser, the director of Broken Legs, calls the format a “genius marketing strategy.”
“That’s what makes it so fun for the audience,” Saegesser said. “They get to pick the title on the spot and see what the actors come up with right then and there! The great thing about this show is that it opens and closes on the same night, so you can see it multiple times and literally never see the same show twice!”
Ad-libbing the entire performance could prove to be challenging, but it helps that the improv troupe are like family. The cast is “close-knit,” and that’s precisely what helps them feed off of each other during performances.
“What is great about being on stage with your troupe when you’re improvising is knowing that you are all trying to figure out what you are doing and that you’ll work together as a team to get all the information out and the story told,” Formentini said. “When you make eye contact with your scene partner, you have this unspoken communication— [It’s] both ‘What are we doing?’ and ‘We know what we’re doing.’ It’s really great.”
It’s the type of unspoken respect that manifests itself on stage, according to Araujo.
“We truly really do love each other and respect each other as performers,” Araujo said. “There is no ‘stage hog’ among us that is willing to throw our partner under the bus for a laugh or to hog the spotlight. You can credit Darren Held for creating this type of environment. We love him to death.”
Held accredits this atmosphere to trust.
“We can’t stop laughing during rehearsal,” he said. “We’ve known each other for years, so there’s a tremendous amount of trust. Held2gether has been focused on joy and support from the beginning, so everyone feels free to push their limits. Even though none of us are technically trained singers, we gain great confidence from each other.”
Araujo said she is set to begin her first performance in Broken Legs and put on a good show. The cast member broke her foot at a Held2gether sketch show in February 2014 and was also unable to perform last year at the “Artichoke” show.
This time, for the Broken Legs debut in April, Araujo insists that “no actual legs will be broken.”
The show will debut April 9 at 8pm in the Expo Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Ave. Additional shows will be presented on the second Saturdays of the following months, on May 14 and June 11. Tickets for the show are $10, and they can be purchased in advance at held2gether.com .
