In the last few months, many aspects of our lives have had to change and adapt to fit into what we call ‘the new normal’. Theatre is no stranger to this and truth be told, I was quite sceptical as to how musical theatre could function well on an online platform. However, having watched the preview of Raise Your Voice Theatre Collective’s ‘Measure in Love’, I may just be proven wrong.
Featuring the amazing cast of St Catz Drama Society’s RENT production, ‘Measure in Love’ is the first ever virtual musical event organised by the Raise Your Voice Theatre Collective. As per its description, the collective aims to support various causes through online concerts and for ‘Measure in Love’, they will be fundraising for Color of Change and UK Black Pride. The former fights for racial justice in the US while the latter celebrates diversity in the LGBTQ+ community in the UK — both of which are wonderful causes that require our immediate attention and support. Alex Waldman, the director, shared that the collective ‘aims to provide a space, virtually, and hopefully in person following the conclusion of this pandemic, for more members of the Oxford community to share their artistic passions in support of charitable organizations that leave a lasting positive impact on society’.
The performance itself features a variety of songs, ranging from popular musical hits to lesser known gems, and is as follows:
‘You Will be Found’ (Dear Evan Hansen)
‘Agony’ (Into the Woods)
‘Get Down’ (Six)
‘You Learn’ (Jagged Little Pill)
‘For Good’ (Wicked)
‘It’s De Lovely’ (Anything Goes)
‘No One is Alone’ (Into the Woods)
‘Seasons of Love’ (RENT)
When asked about the chosen repertoire, Alex explained that while there is no central theme, they wanted to perform a variety of songs (including group numbers, duets and solos) to ‘ignite multiple facets of human emotion’. The 11 minute preview of ‘Measure in Love’ gives us a taste of what is to come, with moving performances of ‘You Will be Found’ from Dear Evan Hansen and ‘Seasons of Love’ from RENT. Filmed from the comfort of each cast member’s home, both musical numbers were a delight to listen to, despite the unconventional medium. ‘You Will be Found’, according to Alex, highlights the importance of belonging and of a supporting community while ‘Seasons of Love’ is very dear to both the cast and crew as RENT brought them together in the first place.
If you weren’t able to see their talent in March (and even if you were fortunate enough), ‘Measure in Love’ will take place on September 5th (8pm BST) and they are already accepting donations – see this page for more details.
