The Guerilla Micro-Musicals

I had my first experience with the micro-musicals at NYMF at yesterday's 1pm matinee of The Last Starfighter. Announced about a week ago, these events were to consist of random audience members at certain shows bursting into song - I wish I could find the press release to link to, but it's lots in the depths of the internet, I'm afraid. I suppose the whole thing was inspired by Reach! The Lecture Musical!, one of the more inspired YouTube viral videos of the last few years:



Isn't that great?

Very few people in the cast and creative team of Starfighter knew what was happening when during the customary curtain speech a clip of music played. (Our PSM told me he looked in panic down at the computer running sound, thinking he'd accidentally pressed something.) When a man in the third row started singing, I remembered the press release, but clearly no one else did - there was panic in a lot of eyes. Sabotage at the second show! Then the girl sitting in front of me on the stairs stood up joined in, joined by several other audience members. I wonder what happened to their seats once they left - the performance was almost sold out, and there was barely a seat to be had in that house after 12:55. Ok, wandering way way off topic.

The song they sang was called "Restless Legs" and seemed to be some bizarre version of The Drowsy Chaperone's "Cold Feet." I wasn't all that impressed, sad to say. Bursting into song in the middle of a lecture hall has an air of revolution, defying expectations in a stereotypically dull and lifeless venue. Bursting into song in the middle of an audience about to watch a musical based on a cheesy 80s sci-fi movie? Doesn't quite. I'm sure I'll run into another of these micro-musicals in the next week, considering I'm seeing another 11 shows. Here's hoping it has more of an effect.