Class of 2008 has new take on PUP tradition, 'Sex on B'way'

"Sex on Broadway," the Princeton University Players' Freshman Revue, premieres tonight in the Forbes Theater.

"The theme has been 'Sex on Broadway' every year, but each class has come up with a different take on it," said Jessica Bonney '05, the Princeton University Players' President. The freshman revue started four years ago as a way to "give freshman an opportunity to have a leading part in a show."

"Freshmen, with the help of the PUP board, do everything for the show, from choreography and song selection to costumes and production," said director Alex Katen-Narvell, '08.

The cast of 14 freshmen began work on the revue the week before Fall Break. "It's a cool process," said Katen-Narvell. "We choose songs that highlight the abilities of our singers and then we figure out how it will all work out."

The only major hiccup in the production, according to lighting designer Courtney Mazo '08, came when the water main broke in Forbes.

"The water came in right where the main circuit is, so we couldn't connect any of the lights until three days before the show began." While the flood temporarily set back both rehearsals and production, the show was not delayed.

This year's show features a diverse selection of songs, from "Nothin' Like a Dame" from "South Pacific," to "Suddenly Seymour" from "Little Shop of Horrors." And while the show tends towards goofy, faux-raunchy moments (i.e., the entirety of "When You're Good to Mamma"), any other treatment of these songs would be pretentious. The lighthearted moments are lighthearted, and the serious ones are sincere.

And the cast's control of the music is excellent. Can you tell the cast are all freshmen? Yes. Do you care by the end of the show? No. The song sequencing is intelligent and manages to keep the show feeling fresh even though every song is a love song. The singers are more than capable of carrying their parts, and the choreography is pleasing. And you'll never get as close to a show as you do in Forbes's Black Box, which is decorated and lit simply and effectively. In short, the cast and crew allow the strength of the songs to carry the show, and competently support them with lighting, staging and dancing.

So even though your socks will still be firmly attached to your feet, you'll leave happy. And there are no uncomfortable calls to make the next morning. So make the hike out to Forbes — you know you need it after Thanksgiving — and watch "Sex on Broadway."

"Sex on Broadway" plays tonight, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Forbes Black Box Theater. Tickets are $3 and can be bought at Frist Ticket Office or the University Ticketing Website.