Free Improv Musical on Jan. 19 at the Takoma Park Community Center
iMusical Improv Performance
Free Event
Friday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 pm
Takoma Park Community Center
7500 Maple Avenue
What’s going to happen at the next iMusical performance? No one is sure yet, including the actors since they will be improvising a live musical based on audience suggestions.
The performance, which is part of the City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts series, is free and no tickets or reservations are required.
Based at the Washington Improv Theater, iMusical has performed at the Kennedy Center, theater spaces across the D.C. area, and comedy festivals in Philadelphia and New York. Founding director Travis Ploeger created the improv group in 2006 after moving 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 beginning of a performance, the group of about six actors will ask a question to the audience and receive suggestions usually related to a theme for the show. Then they will improvise a musical on the spot with piano accompaniment.
“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 Takoma Park Arts series includes free concerts, theater, art exhibitions, film screenings, and other events at the Takoma Park Community Center. You can learn more on the city website and sign up for our e-newsletter for info about all of our upcoming events.
