Sophomores Malcolm Naughton and Layla Luciano singing Tangled’s “I See The Light”.
ANGELINA PEREZ / THE QUADRANGLE
By Leyla J Mercado, Assistant News Editor
Manhattan University Players showcased their fall cabaret, A Night at the Magic Kingdom, this past weekend, leaving the audience dancing, singing and laughing along in their seats.
The hour-long show consisted of a collection of Disney’s timeless works, performed through song, acting and dance.
There were 22 performers set to take the stage through 20 Disney classics, opening with Beauty and the Beast’s “Be Our Guest” and closing with “Dig A Little Deeper” from The Princess and the Frog.
Sophomore Malcolm Naughton, the assistant director and performer, discussed what preparation for this year’s cabaret looked like and the personal connection he felt when working on this showcase with the support of the other MU Players.
“I think most people grew up watching movies and even watching the castle in the beginning, it’s so cool and magical, so we named it that for that reason,” Naughton said. “We had a chance to do what we wanted with this, making it pretty and making sure everybody sounded really good and everyone came through with that. We met up whenever we could, in the [Black] box, the lounge or our rooms, just to talk about any ideas that we had. We would text each other constantly and it was a lot of late nights but it was fun.”
Midway through the night, the performances of “A Whole New World,” “Remember Me,” and “Gaston” captivated the audience, leaving them with a combination of reactions that made them emotional, excited and with a laugh or two.
The MU Players let their talent take the stage when performing each iconic Disney classic, leaving everyone singing along to whichever one they knew.
Sophomore Marisa Goodwin, one of the assistant directors and performers, spoke about the inspiration for the performance she wanted to showcase to the audience before her.
“With my love for Disney as a child, I knew I had to make this good,” Goodwin said. “I love Disney, my family loves Disney and so many other people love Disney … I’ve got to sell the dreaminess of it all.”
Goodwin continued to express that the audience experience was paramount in her director and performer role.
“I would like the audience to walk away with a smile,” Goodwin said. “That’s really the point of the whole show, we all just want people to have fun and people in the audience to have fun with us. I think we did that, and I hope we did that.”
With the hopes of establishing a connection with those who enjoy “A Night at the Magic Kingdom,” sophomore Ari Flores elaborated on the impact the fall cabaret left on her as both a performer and an individual.
“I walked away with a higher version of myself,” Flores said. “Even though it was a small performance and it’s not as big as a theater, it just proves that we could always start small and go big eventually. Even as a small group it’s still fun and we can still do something we can enjoy. We love singing, we love music and just showing our passion for that with a good amount of people just shows how dedicated we are with our passions.”
Olivia Bailey, the director of this year’s cabaret and vocalist, shared her vision for the group going forward with The Quadrangle.
“We have a stacked general membership,” Bailey said. “I feel as though this is the most talented the groups have been in my three years. We also have a lot of people who like to take charge of things too, which helps because there’s so much that goes into these productions. It’s nice to have people who are assertive and who love to do it.”