Waiting at the 38th Street crosswalk while you're late for class isn't the only horror on Spruce Street.
Penn Dance and Glee Club's seventh annual collaboration, "Nightmare on Spruce Street," opens today in the Prince Theatre at the Annenberg Center.
The Glee Club, founded in 1862 as an all male a cappella group, has toured over 35 different countries on five continents, while Penn Dance is experienced in its own right, with over 30 years of bringing modern dance to university audiences and beyond. Both groups are the oldest of their type on campus.
Last year's collaboration, "Rhythm 101: A Crash Course in Song and Dance," sold out every show, and the performers expect it will be no different this time around.
"The talents of each group complement and highlight one another very well," Glee publicity manager College junior Fan Zhou noted. "You have two of the oldest groups on campus, so there's a lot of tradition and talent."
In following with the Halloween season, this year's show is set to be spooky. A loose horror plot is followed throughout the show, with skits interspersed between song and dance.
Penn Dance is careful to note that in all of their productions, the performers have creative control over sets, costumes and choreography. The two groups will not perform one after another, but together for most pieces, with Glee Club members even joining some of the dance routines.
Lok Ka Yeung, a Wharton sophomore Glee Club member, is enthusiastic about the performance. "Usually Glee doesn't get it's own sets or theatrical backdrop, and both groups learn a lot from one another." As an afterthought, he also laughed, "It's not bad working with girls for once either."
With Penn Glee Club and Penn Dance's enthusiasm, "Nightmare" should be a dream performance.
Shows run Thursday through Saturday, with opening night beginning at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 on Locust Walk, $10 at the door.
