From Fiddler on the Roof to The Sound of Music, the familiar tunes and lyrics of several Broadway musicals filled the McInnis Auditorium on Feb. 23. The Saturday afternoon presentation marked the final performance of the collegiate career of GODCHA senior co-founders Bailey Pretak and Natalie Cisternas.
GODCHA, which stands for Global Outreach Drama Company & Homeland Associates, is a non-profit organization that Pretak and Cisternas created during their sophomore year. The group has performed a concert each semester and plans to branch into a missions organization that will teach orphan children the finer arts of theater, music and dance.
This semester, the group incorporated more dancing into their performance, especially in their Hairspray finale. Performing seven different songs from the popular musical, including a beautiful rendition of “I Know Where I’ve Been” by senior Autumn Neube, GODCHA brought the 60s to life, completed by senior Gregory Walton’s impersonation of Edna Turnblad, drag and all.
Other highlights included sophomore Vladimir Postevka’s chilling performance of The Phantom of the Opera’s “Music of the Night.” Postevka customized a mask to imitate that worn by the Phantom while Pretak accompanied with a ballet piece.
Seniors Rob Miller and Erika Gray continuously had the audience laughing during their performance of “Chu-Chi Face” from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as Miller failed several times to dispose of Gray’s naive character.
Junior Allison Fazel entertained the crowd with her sassy version of “My Strongest Suit” from Aida, backed up by the other GODCHA women. The men of GODCHA, in turn, performed a convincing replication of “Seize the Day” from Newsies, dancing and even flipping to the music.
Overall, Cisternas and Pretak’s last production at Eastern was their best-performed and most elaborate show yet, promising a bright future for their ongoing plans for the organization.