Crescendo: Making Dream Roles Come True
- Summer Poet418
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Kamryn Foley
Crescendo, a student-run group, is not your typical SUNY Purchase club. It offers a niche platform for students to perform, regardless of their major. Crescendo is a musical term meaning a gradual increase in loudness, or the moment when a noise or piece of music is at its loudest.
Unlike other clubs, Crescendo requires auditions for each show, in which they stage three themed performances per semester.
Crescendo was created to make performing possible for every student on campus. “I was told that the school would have a bunch of easily accessible chances to perform. I very much found out that wasn’t true,” said Alvarez Pickett, a senior and the director of Crescendo. “Our goal is essentially to make that promise as true as possible, and give everybody the chance to get up on stage.”
This group was brought to life nearly a decade ago by SUNY Purchase alum Johnny Calabrese, who served as the director when Pickett joined his freshman year. At the time, the group consisted of only nine members. Calabrese got a couple of his friends together, then decided to make a club out of it.
Crescendo has more performers now than previously. According to Pickett, there were 35 students who auditioned this year for their first show of the semester, titled “Dream Roles,” which is the highest number of auditions Crescendo has ever had.
Every show performed is cabaret-style. “There are multiple performers who each perform one or two performances of single-unit songs, so they're not all from the same show,” said junior and co-choreographer Maeve Vanengen. “We have the theme of dream roles. People picked a role that they would really like to do.”
In “Dream Roles,” each performer sang a solo or in a small group that fit the theme.
According to co-social media manager Parker Tiburcio, the performance, which took place Oct. 11, was a success. “It was successful,” said Tiburcio. “I feel like everyone did a really amazing job. I'm so proud of everyone.”
Although there was a small turnout, the audience was mostly reactive. “The crowd was definitely loud, but it was like a few people being loud,” said performer Ryan Daniels.
Tiburcio said their performance with Daniels was a wonderful execution. They performed “Unlikely Lovers” from “Falsettos.” They were the closing act.
Crescendo emphasizes performers choosing their own performances. In a way, making the show their own. “We try to give the members a lot of freedom to just kind of do whatever they want and have the space to do whatever,” said Pickett.
Vanengen, who joined Crescendo her freshman year, said the group provided opportunities for performing that she couldn't find anywhere else on campus.
Tiburcio joined the group on a whim, but the low-stakes environment was part of what drew them in.
“I joined this club because I generally don’t get very many opportunities to sing,” Tiburcio said. “I thought it was one of those things where they lie about it being low stakes when it’s really high stakes, but it’s really low stakes.”
Tiburcio also emphasized the community aspect of the group.
“I kind of struggle when it comes to community and having a lot of friends, especially people of color,” Tiburcio said. “And since two of the officers are people of color, as am I, I was like, ‘Oh my God, these people are so cool.’ You build a lot of community here.”
Daniel DeChristopher, a performer, said Crescendo filled in the gap for easily accessible musical theatre opportunities on campus.
“This school very much prioritizes straight plays over musical theater,” said DeChristopher. “Crescendo is a very good club to have to really fight for that passion of mine.”
DeChristopher describes the group's atmosphere as chill and friendly. “You just have a very solid group of people you don't have to worry about,” said DeChristopher. "It's a very comforting group of people.”
“I genuinely think if anyone has a chance to be a part of this club, they should,” said Tiburcio. “You build a lot of community here.”
