Weekday parties, drunken mistakes, hangovers and the resulting truancy come to Gainesville this summer, and they're not just on campus.
The Hippodrome State Theatre will host the opening of "COLLEGE: The Musical" Friday at 8 p.m. The play, which chronicles the trials and tribulations of 12 students in a college town, will run eight times a week throughout the rest of the summer.
"We sometimes joke that this play is us living the college experience," said Scott Elmegreen, who wrote the musical with fellow Princeton University alumnus Drew Fornarola.
Jake McKenna, who plays the innocent freshman Nathan, said the show is the greatest hits of four years of college. Elmegreen described the production as a rock concert with a story.
Cheeky humor and catchy musical numbers highlight the play along with the occasional reference to UF. It shows the characters dealing with the loneliness of college and the anxiety of life after graduation through adolescent apathy and the occasional beer in glorious dorm squalor.
"It makes you look back and think, 'How could I accept such disorganization?'" said Casey Ford Alexander, who plays Simon in the show.
The writers said the musical was not written about any particular college, allowing theaters to add their own inflections. Locals will be able to see UF spirit tied into the show.
Elmegreen and Fornarola said they originally had promotional shirts made in crimson and gold, but quickly changed the shirts.
"When we realized we were going to do the production in Gainesville, those colors weren't going to cut it here," Elmegreen said.
The actors, many of whom are recent UF graduates, added their own touches to the play. As the first cast, they were able to add their own nuances to the characters and set a precedent for future cast members. Jennifer Shorstein, who plays Adrienne, added a cast member of her own to the Gainesville rendition and was able to sneak in a "your mom" joke into a scene.
There will be a preview tonight at 8 p.m. before the opening night on Friday, said Jessica Thompson, director of advertising and marketing at the Hippodrome.
Shows will run Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students.
"Whether you are 18 or 88, there is something that you can relate to," Elmegreen said.
