Music is a worldwide unifier. It brings people of all races, creeds, genders, and backgrounds together in harmony, with… harmonies! Musical Theatre International, also known as MTI, is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser, they’ve continued his legacy by providing resources to 70,000 professional communities and school theatres in the US in a total of over 60 countries worldwide. 

      This year, they wished to indulge these statistics by providing the rights to two dozen musical theatre songs for free. This setlist, in collaboration with Roald Dahl and Disney, was to be performed worldwide on that same weekend. It was a global musical theatre effort focused on providing a sense of unity in the return to live theatre after the Covid 19 pandemic. 

“The excitement for All Together Now! among our customers is growing by the day,” said Drew Cohen, President, and CEO of MTI Worldwide. MTI’s looser restrictions allowed directors, choreographers, and costume designers creative freedom in their design, staging, and casting of the production. 

Creating a diversified cast was a major goal for MTI’s Chief Operating Officer, John Prignano. As this is not a full length show, production staff was encouraged to have people of all different races, genders, abilities, and body types, grace the stage in varying roles that full productions would have limited.

      That is why this year, along with production groups across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa,  the Middle East, and even our own Lancer Harmonies Show Choir group, took part in this event. There were two shows, on Friday, Nov. 12 and Saturday, Nov. 13, both of which went off without a hitch. Friends, family members, and mentors all gathered together to watch the production, which showcased months of this talented cast’s hard work. Songs ranged from “Seize the Day” from hit musical Newsies to “Let it Go,”  from Frozen, a Disney staple that enchanted audience members young and old.  MTI’s joint collaboration with local theatres around the nation helped to produce a wildly successful show that was a joy to all those involved.