This week's No Refund Theatre (NRT) cast has been through its fair share of trials and tribulations in the quest to get this week's production on stage. With mishaps from losing play rights to an unknowingly switched rehearsal room, it would seem the show was doomed from the start.

The cast held strong, though, and will perform the musical Lady in the Dark at 8 Friday and Saturday nights in 111 Forum.

Initially, director Melissa Golebiowski (senior-public relations) chose to put on Sweeney Todd, but following the extension of the national tour, learned NRT had lost the rights to perform it. After discussing it with her cast, Golebiowski said she decided on Lady in the Dark.

"It's funny but it still has that dark edge to it like Sweeney Todd," Golebiowski said.

The play is about Liza, a fashion editor at Allure magazine who is "kind of having like a mental breakdown," said Becky Kelley (sophomore-education), who plays Liza.

In addition to an affair with a movie star, "she has been with this guy Kendall who is already married. She's just kind of in emotional turmoil the whole time," Kelley said.

The songs are all Liza's dreams and hallucinations, Kelley said.

Tyler Radel (junior-secondary education) plays the photographer at Allure.

"He enjoys flirting with his fellow co-workers and various models who come in the door," Radel said. "He also really likes to egg Liza on."

By the end of the musical, though, the two become friends, he said.

"It's an antagonistic relationship at first but they end up being friends. He sees her as she really is. She has a pose that she puts up, but eventually they come to terms with each other," Radel said.

Golebiowski was intrigued by the fact Lady in the Dark was originally performed in the 1940s and hasn't been widely reproduced. It was originally written for Gertrude Lawrence (as Liza), who changed parts of the production every night.

"I want to present something different to everyone," Golebiowski said. "When they wrote this play it was really a milestone."

The cast has incorporated this idea of change into its production.

"[The audience] will see what impromptu theater can be like. They're gonna see something different every night," Matt Klein (junior-film) said.

Golebiowski said despite the initial troubles the group had getting everything together, its determination kept everything moving.

Radel said despite the dark edge to the play, the audience will still leave the Forum amused.

This week's No Refund Theatre (NRT) cast has been through its fair share of trials and tribulations in the quest to get this week's production on stage. With mishaps from losing play rights to an unknowingly switched rehearsal room, it would seem the show was doomed from the start.

The cast held strong, though, and will perform the musical Lady in the Dark at 8 Friday and Saturday nights in 111 Forum.

Initially, director Melissa Golebiowski (senior-public relations) chose to put on Sweeney Todd, but following the extension of the national tour, learned NRT had lost the rights to perform it. After discussing it with her cast, Golebiowski said she decided on Lady in the Dark.

"It's funny but it still has that dark edge to it like Sweeney Todd," Golebiowski said.

The play is about Liza, a fashion editor at Allure magazine who is "kind of having like a mental breakdown," said Becky Kelley (sophomore-education), who plays Liza.

In addition to an affair with a movie star, "she has been with this guy Kendall who is already married. She's just kind of in emotional turmoil the whole time," Kelley said.

The songs are all Liza's dreams and hallucinations, Kelley said.

Tyler Radel (junior-secondary education) plays the photographer at Allure.

"He enjoys flirting with his fellow co-workers and various models who come in the door," Radel said. "He also really likes to egg Liza on."

By the end of the musical, though, the two become friends, he said.

"It's an antagonistic relationship at first but they end up being friends. He sees her as she really is. She has a pose that she puts up, but eventually they come to terms with each other," Radel said.

Golebiowski was intrigued by the fact Lady in the Dark was originally performed in the 1940s and hasn't been widely reproduced. It was originally written for Gertrude Lawrence (as Liza), who changed parts of the production every night.

"I want to present something different to everyone," Golebiowski said. "When they wrote this play it was really a milestone."

The cast has incorporated this idea of change into its production.

"[The audience] will see what impromptu theater can be like. They're gonna see something different every night," Matt Klein (junior-film) said.

Golebiowski said despite the initial troubles the group had getting everything together, its determination kept everything moving.

Radel said despite the dark edge to the play, the audience will still leave the Forum amused.