The Trail to Oregon! is coming to the Alexander Twilight Theater at Vermont State University – Lyndon this April. Performed by the University club Twilight Players, The Trail to Oregon is a two-act musical parody of the well-known videogame series The Oregon Trail. First performed in Chicago, IL in 2014, this StarKid Productions comedy invites audience participation, so come prepared with name suggestions for the five family members and get ready to cast your vote as to which unlucky cast member must die at the end of the show!
After a father burns down the family’s Missouri farm, the group embarks out west in search of a new life. Unfortunately for the family, this is no vacation trip. They must survive starvation, dysentery, a wagon with octagon wheels, and the infamous Bandit King on their journey down the Oregon Trail in this lively musical show.
The Twilight Players began rehearsals for the spring musical in January. The small cast of six is directed by Michael Kane and under the musical direction of Mark Violette, whom the cast and crew would like to sincerely thank. The technical teams involved with putting the show together have been working hard under a student-led initiative to make the magic happen behind the scenes. A small group of students designed the set, hand-crafted large animal masks, organized all the props needed for the show, found and altered character costumes, choreographed the dance numbers, and took on the creative and technical responsibility of sound and lighting support for the musical. The group largely consists of returning students who have worked many hours together for the theater club in past shows. Says Kira Dooley, President of Twilight Players, “I am immensely proud of the students who have worked hard to put the show together, many of which have elected long overnight hours to create the finished product.”
The cast has also been working hard to create an unforgettable performance. The tight-knit group of six do it all, singing, dancing, trombone-playing, and improvisation that is sure to have the audience thoroughly enthralled. You are not going to want to miss the Twilight Player’s spring performance, although viewer discretion is advised for this R-rated production.
Both the cast and crew are incredibly excited to perform The Trail to Oregon! April 18-20th at 7:30 pm and April 21st at 2 pm. Admission is by donation. The house will open thirty minutes before showtime, so grab your popcorn, prepare your name suggestions to shout out to the cast, and enjoy the show.
Photo by Evan Colman || The cast of The Trail to Oregon! performing a run-through to prepare for the show.