Echoes of students’ vocal warm-ups filled the theater as performers prepared for this year’s Broadway Backwards, March 20. The event is hosted by Westview Theatre Company (WVTC) and features performers who sing songs originally written for the opposite gender to showcase students who wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to sing in a role.
According to Carly Isleta (12), Broadway Backwards showcases a piece that she’s always wanted to sing onstage.
“It’s really rewarding as a performer to be able to share my craft and be able to give it to an audience,” Isleta said. “Because there are many people who want the opportunity to sing material or perform pieces that they normally don’t, I think this gives a perfect segway for people to explore and experiment in different genres of musical theater and music, but to also open up a doorway for people to just express themselves, or do something that interests them and not be confined to the status quo.”
The freedom of performing a song without being confined to a gender-specific role offers student vocalists the opportunity to share their craft. For Isleta, the song “Santa Fe” from Newsies was that opportunity.
“I chose this song because it’s about finding yourself and escaping when times get rough,” Isleta said. “It’s just such an incredible song, and if there was one chance where I would get to perform it [on stage] it would be now. Jack Kelly is a character who in the real world I would probably never get to play, so it’s an amazing experience just to sing one of his songs.”
Despite being a seasoned performer, Isleta still must focus to overcome feelings of anxiousness towards upcoming performances.
“I still get some anxiety and nerves and I can get into my own head on stage,” Isleta said. “For me as a singer, when my body tenses up, it’s really hard for me to be able to hit some of those notes or be able to feel normal in my body. I’m still trying to figure out how I am able to relax and calm myself from stage fright.”
Performances were a mixture of solo songs, like Isleta’s, and duets between students. For Damian Castelloe (10), his duet required an adjustment from his usual baritone range to accommodate his singing partner Kate Wood’s soprano range. Together, they performed as Oliver and Claire, during their duet of “The Rainy Day We Met” from Maybe Happy Ending. To accommodate his range to a healthier shift, Castelloe said he practiced vocal exercises.
“I usually do lip trills because that activates my vocal cords [by using] my lips,” Castelloe said. “Overall, I think we did a decent job. I think my songs went pretty well; I hit the notes and Kate did great in our duet. During parts where we harmonized, we mostly went back to the original key so I wouldn’t go that high or so Kate wouldn’t go too low.”
Additionally, performer Sofia Bell (10) sang a trio with Sophia McRae (10) and Isabella Solivan (10).
“I performed in a three-person song called “Sincerely Me” from Dear Evan Hansen with two of my best friends,” Bell said. “We would practice at my house after school, choreographing the number and learning different harmonies. It’s really exciting to get to take on those roles in this showcase. The number was very comedic and we had a bunch of fun. I was originally pretty nervous and worried that I would forget the lyrics, but once I got out there and performed, my worries faded.”
Morayo Ogunsaju (12) sang in a lower vocal range than she was used to in her performance of “If I Could Tell Her” from Dear Evan Hanson. Ogunsaju said that in a way, singing this ballad onstage was freeing.
“I don’t usually sing lower songs, but I enjoy doing it because it gives me the chance to explore a different experience than I was used to,” Ogunsaju said. “To me, it’s my way of getting out of my comfort zone. Broadway Backwards gives me the first steps in order to try something new, and I discovered that pushing myself to do harder things is how I move forward in life.”
For most theater students, Broadway Backwards is an experience where students can fulfill their musical passions. For Bell, whether it’s singing a solo or a duet, her memories with Broadway Backwards are nothing short of unifying within the theater community.
“I think that singing is a way for me to grow my confidence and find community,” Bell said. “Through being on stage, I’ve felt rewarded from being able to see my hard work pay off and have people reciprocate my excitement for music and theatre. The sense of community here at Westview Theatre Company feels like a family and I’ve met some of my closest friends here.”
