MIT vs Harvard Musical – We’ll Get it Right
June 7 | Sat | 3pm | We’ll Get it Right, the MIT vs Harvard Musical, commissioned by the MIT Class of 1954 in honor of its 60th reunion, written by Michael Ouellette with music and lyrics by Martin Marks, Michael Ouellette and Charles Shadle. Co-produced by Joseph Blake ’54, Harvey Steinberg ’54 and Ellen T. Harris, MIT Professor of Music Emeritus ’54H. Kresge Little Theater. Free. Tickets required and available at the door.
June 9 | Mon | 7:30pm | We’ll Get it Right. Kresge Little Theater. Free and open to the public. No tickets required.
Timeline of the Historic MIT – Harvard Rivalry
by Philip N. Alexander, Research Associate in Comparative Media Studies/Writing program at MIT and author of A Widening Sphere, Evolving Cultures at MIT.
Synopsis
We’ll Get It Right is a romantic musical comedy in two acts, constructed along traditional lines and running about two hours. Commissioned by members of MIT’s class of 1954, the show’s general theme is the rivalry between Harvard and MIT. The story is set in the late 1950s or early 1960s (the exact year is left unspecified), and the plot focuses on the developing attraction between Joe, an undergraduate engineering student at MIT, and Claire, an undergraduate music major at Harvard (i.e., Radcliffe). Claire has been dating Harvey, the quarterback of the Harvard football team, whom she has known since childhood. She struggles to come to terms with her new feelings for Joe, because they conflict with the pressure she feels to conform to family expectations that she will marry Harvey, a Harvard man. Eventually she heeds the counsel of her voice teacher, Dr. Tuttle, to “listen to her heart.” For his part, Joe is supported by his closest friends at MIT, Judy and Jack, and Lewis, the director of the latest MIT Tech Show. One number from that Tech show serves as the first act finale of this musical; it recounts the many futile attempts by Harvard to block or absorb MIT. As the chorus sings repeatedly, “It’s always MIT over Harvard in the end.” The latest of MIT’s continuing triumphs over its rival happens when, at the end of the musical, true love wins and Joe and Claire are united —in part due to the help of a hack cooked up by the ever-resourceful MIT students who are Joe’s friends.
Produced by Joseph Blake ’54, Harvey Steinberg ’54, and Ellen Harris ‘54H
—In honor of the 60th Reunion, MIT Class of 1954—
Book by Michael Ouellette
Music and Lyrics by Martin Marks, Michael Ouellette, and Charles Shadle
Direction by Michael Ouellette
Musical Direction by Allen Feinstein
CHARACTERS AND CAST
Joe O’Neal, an Engineering Major at MIT: Billy Hicks (BoCo)
Claire Bradford, a Music Major at Racliffe: Melody Stolpp (BoCo)
Harvey Van Arsdale, Harvard Quarterback: Michael Mahady (BoCo)
Jack Johnson, MIT student: Tyler Lenhardt (BoCo)
Judy Smith, MIT student: Julie Peterson (BoCo)
Lewis Merrick, author/director of the MIT Tech Show: Adam Bokunewicz (BoCo)
Dr. Helen Tuttle, Claire’s voice teacher: Ellen Harris (MIT)
Jimmy, MIT student: Joe Viola (BoCo)
Charles Bradford, Claire’s father: Michael Ouellette (MIT)
George Levin, Dr Tuttle’s pianist: Carl Lian (MIT ’14)
CHORUS
Soprano: Divya Pillai ’15 MIT
Soprano: Lillian McKinley ’15 MIT
Alto: Priyanka Satpute ’17 MIT
Alto: Malari Martin, BoCo
Tenor: Joseph Viola ’17 BoCo
Tenor: Gaurav Singh ’15 MIT
Bass: Nicholas Garcia ’17 MIT
Bass: Kevin Kaczorowski G MIT
ORCHESTRA
Violin: Dawn Perlner ’01 MIT
Cello: Kyle Miller ’12 MIT
Bass: Michael Chen G MIT
Flute: Miriam Nussbaum G MIT
Clarinet: Richard Uhler G MIT
Trumpet: Jason Huffman
Piano: Carl Lian ’14 MIT
Percussion: Mark Chilensky G MIT
PRODUCTION
Book and Direction: Michael Ouellette
Music and Lyrics: Martin Marks, Michael Ouellette, Charles Shadle
Music Direction: Allen Feinstein
Arrangements and Orchestrations: Charles Shadle
Additional Orchestrations: Justin Casinghino, Allen Feinstein
Stage Manager: Ceridwen Riley ’16 MIT
Costumes: Costumes Collection of Boston, Diane Brainerd and Leslie Held
Wardrobe Mistress: Renee Brungard
Stage Furniture: Courtesy of MIT Music and Theater Arts
Lighting and Sound: E33
Production Coordinators: Clarise Snyder & Kalina Schloneger, MIT Concerts Office
Poster Design: Hannah Carpenter
Video Recording: MIT Academic Media Production Services, AMPS
Sound Recording: Anthony Di Bartolo
Photography: Jonathan Sachs