Grand Valley State University theatre and opera students had an exuberant performance for their production “Company” on Jan. 30. The performance successfully captured the large audience’s attention with continuous laughs and catchy tunes that everyone was singing afterwards.

The performance occurred at the Louis Armstrong Theatre, and the stage was decorated with many large pictures hung as a backdrop, representing the main character’s apartment and the life in New York City.

The plot centers around the main character Robert, who was played by GVSU student Casey Huls. His performance was charming and connected to all of the single people in the room about the conflicting feelings about marriage. Huls has a beautiful vibrato and controlled voice that filled the theater delightfully.

All cast members grasped their character’s personality, making the audience believe the quirky, outlandish and extraordinary nature of the story.

The stage seemed small for the acting of the cast members and, if given more space, it would have enhanced the professional talents showcased during the night. The cast dealt with the limited room and gave a memorable performance.

Macey Madias seemed to steal the show with her love-hate character of Joanne. Madias played the part with class and sass, selling it with her solo numbers “The Little Things You Do Together” and “The Ladies Who Lunch.”

The cast is made up many talented individuals who all have a bright future in the theatre department and in the real world.

If there were slip-ups on lines or harmony, the audience, unless well versed in the opera, wouldn’t have been able to tell because the mistakes were covered up well.

The most impressive piece out of the play was “Side By Side By Side,” which challenged the cast members with dynamic choreography that used hats and canes. Singing and dancing seems a lot harder than what they made it out to be, as the performance was flawless.

The orchestra was executed marvelously. The singing and live music went well together and the audience did not have trouble hearing any of the lines, except a few microphone cues that were missed in the beginning.

The performance had the audience laughing every few seconds of the play. Even during the serious parts, there still was a chuckle to relieve the tension.

During intermission, there were people in the audience already singing the songs “Bobby Baby” and “Marry Me a Little.”

The cast made a great impression with the audience and left most people talking about a different character’s funniest trait at the end of the night. People were talking about their favorite character and what they loved about that actor, who made a great impression with the audience.

“Company” captured the remarkable talent at GVSU, and the theatre department is full of powerful singers and charismatic actors.

Catch this great production Feb. 6, 7 or 8. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for alumni, seniors and faculty and staff and $6 for students or groups if purchased in advanced. All tickets are $1 extra at the door. For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/theatre.