The upcoming iMusical performance on Jan. 19 is still a mystery. Even the actors don’t know what will happen, as they will be creating a live musical based on suggestions from the audience.
iMusical, based at the Washington Improv Theater, has previously performed at the Kennedy Center, various theater spaces across the D.C. area, and comedy festivals in Philadelphia and New York. Travis Ploeger founded the improv group in 2006 after relocating from New York City to D.C.
“I wanted to create an improvised musical not to satirize the genre but to celebrate it, having warmth and poignancy as well as comedy,” Ploeger said.
At the start of the show, a small group of actors, usually around six, will ask the audience a question and gather suggestions related to a theme for the performance. Following this, they will spontaneously create a musical, accompanied by a piano, based on the audience’s input.
“Since I’ve been doing this show since 2006, we’ve had hundreds of audience suggestions, and it all becomes a blur after a while,” Ploeger said. “The most memorable audience suggestion for me generally is from the last performance we did!”
The iMusical Improv Performance is part of the Takoma Park Arts series, which offers free concerts, theater performances, art exhibitions, film screenings, and other events at the Takoma Park Community Center. The event is free to attend with no tickets or reservations required.
Takoma Park Photo