Company Carolina is giving Broadway a makeover.
The company’s “Broadway Abridged” condenses five classic productions into 15-minute parodies — perfect for people with short attention spans.
“It’s five zany and absurd summaries of shows that are of a particular interest to theater-going audiences,” said Ben Elling, a junior and the director of “The Glass Menagerie,” one of the five shows.
“Broadway Abridged” marks the directorial debuts of the five students leading the shows.
Each mini-play exaggerates and satirizes elements of the original version.
Sophomore Amanda Ackovitz, who directs “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” said her version pokes fun at the original by using numerous references to “Mean Girls.”
Junior Will Hawkins, director of “West Side Story,” said he hopes the performance will teach audience members that Broadway shows don’t have to be on a pedestal — it’s OK to see flaws in the shows and laugh at them.
