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Bradley’s ‘High Fidelity’ is number one, with a bullet

When adapting a movie into a musical, a thin line between good and garbage quickly makes itself present during the process. Example: I had the displeasure of watching an off-Broadway performance of the stage version of “Dirty Dancing” during my sophomore year of high school.

Long story short, witnessing a poorly cast Patrick Swayze wannabe – “Patrick Fugazy,” if you will – fail at masking his Australian accent while showing Baby the basics of dance was far from being the time of my life.

Seeing a performance of “High Fidelity,” on the other hand, is a polar opposite experience. The musical rendition of the John Cusack rom-com is a fun, frenetic and faithful adaptation of the film, and the players within Bradley’s theatre department effortlessly brought their own flavor to the source material.

Like the movie and the Nick Hornsby book it was based on, the musical focuses on record store owner Rob and his complicated relationship with Laura, his most recent ex-girlfriend. Rob’s friends, co-workers and flings (both past and present) tag along as he navigates his messy personal life to figure out why he’s destined “to be alone.”

The well-cast and expertly directed ensemble – anchored by senior theatre arts and television arts double major Peyton McDermott and senior theatre arts and psychology double major Ali Pinkerton – brought their characters to life with an air of energy and individualism that doesn’t fail to entertain.

The musical sequences were also fine tuned, drawing inspiration from various artists like the Beastie Boys, Guns n’ Roses and Aretha Franklin. The eclectic sounds and style of each performance blended together similar to the mix-tapes curated by Rob himself; It starts “with a killer,” “takes it up a notch” throughout and “cools off” somewhere around the middle.

Unlike Rob’s tapes, the music manages to pick up again and ends with a bang, just like it started. It creates a perfect circle of high-energy harmony and may inspire you to go out and create your own “perfect” mix-tape in your free time.

Ultimately, “High Fidelity” is an experience that even those with novice theatre experience might consider placing in their top-5 list of all-time greatest musicals. The performances are enjoyable, the dialogue is humorously sharp and the music is catchy enough to make you wish that all record stores had a staff that randomly bursts into song whenever you visit.

“High Fidelity” runs from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1 at the Hartmann Center theatre. For more information on tickets and showtimes, contact the box office at (309) 677-2650.

One Comment

  1. Evelyn Williams Evelyn Williams October 23, 2015

    Very well written article! ! It’s always a pleasure to read this writer’s stories!!

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