Yes, that's right -- the title and prompt for each one-hour show is determined entirely by the audience. Not even the performers themselves know how the story is going to unfold. All they know is that they'll be starting with an opening number.
"BWC did not start out as a musical improv ensemble," producer Emily Dorezas said. "They were playing around with a couple different contexts to improvise with. One week in 1997 they started singing and thought, 'Hey we should do musicals.' They have created over 1,500 one-hour musicals since then."
Aside from a quick pre-show warm-up, the performers don't undertake any preparation whatsoever. They create characters, a story line and songs, all in true improv fashion, right in front of the audience.
"Even the accompanying pianist is playing on the spot," said Programming Board executive member Cory Cunningham '10. This commitment to total improv makes every show completely original.
"I have seen hundreds of BWC shows ... every time I think it's magic," Dorezas said.
Whatever its title, Baby Wants Candy puts on a show that is created both for and by the audience, which may explain its widespread appeal. "Time Out New York" awarded the group "Best Visiting Comedy Act," and the Chicago Sun-Times called it "one of [Chicago's] most consistently funny and crowd-pleasing improv shows."
Programming Board decided to take a break this winter from the big Leede Arena concert that recent terms have seen. Members considered many options, including professional a cappella groups, dancers and musicians before deciding on an improv comedy act.
"The Programming Board has always traditionally hosted some form of a stage show in the Winter term, and we felt that a comedy act would be largely appealing to a wide segment of the Dartmouth student population," said Ruslan Tovbulatov '09, co-programming chair.
Baby Wants Candy's connections to Dartmouth elevated it above the pack of potential comedy acts; Programming Board is excited that two of the founding members are Dartmouth alums. Al Samuels '88 and Rachel Dratch '88 both participated in campus improv groups before moving on to successful careers in entertainment after graduation: Samuel's show "Sports Action Team" airs on NBC and Dratch has roles on "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock," also NBC programs. The Dartmouth alums encouraged Baby Wants Candy to do a show at their alma mater, and Samuels immediately signed on to be part of the cast.
The Programming Board is betting that the group's relation to Dartmouth, unique performance style and audience interaction component will lure a large and excited Dartmouth attendance. And how does Baby Wants Candy feel to be performing at Dartmouth? Dorezas summed up the group's sentiments: "Fired up!"
