This musical number is a regular fixture at my current improv home, Sak Comedy Lab, where we have more than our fair share of strong singers and improv musicians, both of which are needed to land the game well.
The Basics
One team provides the singers who are In the Studio for a recording session (I usually play it with two or three improvisers in these positions). The opposing team – or perhaps a host or other player – provides the producer or producers in the booth who offer up new recording styles and challenges. The scene begins with the singers creating a base track of a well-known children’s or holiday song or similar. After this template has been established with the help of a live musician, the producers provide a series of adjustments or stylistic overlays (usually three in total) that the singers then use to breathe new life into the old song.
Example
The singers are given “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” as their base material and the trio songs the standard melody together.
Player D: (as a producer) “That sounded great. We’ve got some extra tape, so why don’t we just have a little fun with this and try some out-of-the-box alternatives.”
The singers offer their approval.
Player D: “So why don’t we do the song again but this time with a bit of a country flare for all our listeners in the south…?”
The musician offers an appropriate play in, and Player A steps up to the microphone to sing lead while their teammates grab imaginary instruments to assist...
Player A: (singing)
“I see you twinkling, twinkling, way up high,
Lying on my truck bed as I look up at the sky.
And I wonder to myself just what you are
And if I could live you more than my old car…”
The Focus
This game requires some finesseful understanding of popular musical styles and conventions, as well as the bravery and skill to attack each new song iteration. You’ll want to challenge the participants to keep the format fresh, but also be mindful of what your musicians (and their preferred instruments) as well as your singers can achieve. It’ll be a rough addition to your playlist if every called style proves to be out of reach.
Traps and Tips
1.) For the setup. When the inspiring song is simple and well known (rather than niche or innately complex), you’re more likely you are to set yourself up for success. You don’t want the first rendition to consist of the singers struggling to recall the lyrics (or your musician butchering the melody or accompaniment). We tend to prefer children’s songs for this reason (though we’ll rule out “Baby Shark” right out of the gate as it’s too simple and repetitive)! It can work to slog through a less familiar song with some charm and fearlessness if you’ve already developed rapport with the audience, especially if you know you’ve the voices in your stable to knock out great later versions, but generally the first verse or chorus of a common ditty with give you ample material for the fun to follow. From a technical perspective, if you have the lights and stage space, separate the “performance” and “producer” areas as best you can, ideally fading the producers out while the songs unfold. We tend to place the singers on a microphone stand downstage center with the producers on stools near the wing.
2.) For the producers. As with all caller positions, it’s fun to appear as if you’re messing with the other team, but in reality, you’ll want to give them the right kind of lead-ins. It’s certainly helpful to know each player’s strengths and to exploit these as you can without overly relying on going back to the same styles again and again. I tend to get musical theater and opera type calls when I’m a singer as those as the genres my teammates have seen me perform with some success, but some of my favorite memories have been of less anticipated calls, such as an All-American Bruce Springsteen inspired number. Try to build the level of difficulty and impressiveness, saving the biggest shot for the last spot. We default to three remixes, so will tend to put the riskiest or least expected call in the middle and might end with a duet if we’ve got a bank of two singers. You can leave it up to the players to self-select which song they’ll take lead on, but it can be helpful to pitch each challenge to a particular player, especially if you’re keeping something in your pocket to go out on. I also like to riff on the song title or lyrics themselves to help me come up with unique takes: “When I think of stars, I think of the biggest stars of all… on Broadway. So, let’s hear it again as if we were in a classic musical…” It’s also good form to let your musician know as early as you can in your intro spiel the general style you’re about to pitch so they have time to find a suitable patch on their keyboard. We’ll also try to steer away from offering up a specific musician as the prompt (unless we’re confident they are in the singer’s and musician’s wheelhouse), opting for more forgiving language such as “in the style of Taylor Swift,” or “reminiscent of a young Taylor Swift” rather than “do it as Taylor Swift.”
3.) For the singers. Be strategic and play to both personal and team strengths. If the producers aren’t assigning specific remixes, quickly determine who can best serve the genre (and audience). If you’re a less able singer, it’s generous to go earlier rather than wait for the third song when the pressure to go out big is now truly on. There’s also wisdom in having each replay move gradually further and further away from the original. In this manner, the first singer can largely recycle the foundational lyrics and song structure, while the third singer might use the base material much more loosely and purely as inspiration. If you get too far from the known song too quickly, however, it can stretch the curve of absurdity prematurely. You’ll also want to be mindful of the lengths of each replay. Singers can tend to become a bit indulgent (regardless of whether the song is hitting or not). Usually, one good verse and perhaps a chorus is more than sufficient, especially in those first two positions. (Such an approach can also gift the last version a bit more space to joyfully expand without making the whole affair last ten minutes). While the producers can help by editing the songs, it serves everyone when the singers and musician show discipline in this area too. If in doubt, leave the audience wanting more rather than beating that one style or idea into the ground.
In Performance
This form will quickly become an audience favorite if it’s not already in your game rotation. If you’re not accustomed to exploring different musical genres, this frame provides both a great mechanism for rehearsing new possibilities and a means for then showcasing this new level of experience and knowledge.
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Cheers, David Charles.
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Photo Credit: James Berkley
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