A troupe of improvisational comedians and an a cappella team might not seem like the most natural collaborators. But The Bix, Northwestern’s musical improv group, and Freshman Fifteen, a student a cappella group known for its goofy, interactive performances, proved to be a perfect pairing.
The two groups performed their show “Shirts vs. Skins” together Saturday night. The event was equal parts song and comedy, with many of both groups’ performers getting their moment to shine during the show’s antic-filled 90-minutes.
The union made perfect sense as soon as they took the stage. Although the members of each group were identified by drastically different outfits, little else separated them as both matched the other’s free-flowing vibe and enthusiasm perfectly.
The show began with Freshman Fifteen, decked out in the group’s trademark unbuttoned, bright green bowling shirts, and crammed onto the stage of Harris Hall 107. A spirited rendition of CeeLo Green’s “F–k You,” followed, performed by Communication first-year Lily Zebrauskas.
The song’s peppy lyrics and animated delivery set a lighthearted tone, which would continue for the rest of the performance. Although F15 recently performed the entire setlist, the audience welcomed the repetition, cheering the names of Zebrauskas as well as the later soloists: Communication senior Poseybelle Stoeffler, McCormick first-year Quinn Guerra, Communication junior Patrick Howard and Communication sophomore Eloise Nelson.
In return for their enthusiasm, audience members were frequently called upon to shout out suggestions for the performers to build scenes off of in the intermittent improv segments led by The Bix members.
The material often revelled in absurdity. Communication junior Louise Sims was tasked with singing about being in love with Bigfoot during the “Bar Bix” segment.
Communication sophomore Henry Carson pantomimed as the stuffed, mounted head of an elk.
The actors were frequently asked to stretch their comedic abilities during these amusingly unconventional segments, a difficult task exhibited especially well in the “Dating Game,” an exercise where three students must come up with a freestyle rap in the persona of well-known celebrities, characters and even objects.
True to the spirit of improv, every show is different — this time, Communication junior Rowan Sharma impersonated Ellen DeGeneres, Communication sophomore Tomi Fawehinmi rapped about the title character of “Ma” from the much-memed 2019 thriller, and Guerra “slithered” into the role of a gummy worm.
The final game of the show was “Yearbook,” in which a cohort of Bix and F15 members portrayed members of a fictional high school extracurricular — in this case, the improbable “Taxidermy Club.”
Although neither group actually committed to being the “skins” referenced in the title phrase, the show reflected the casual camaraderie and sense of collaboration often present in shirts-versus-skins sports competitions.
At the end of the show, the combined members of both groups barely fit on the Harris stage for their bow. Their union, rather than diminishing both teams’ impact, highlighted and emphasized their respective strong suits, synthesizing a Saturday night packed with twice as many songs, laughs and memories.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @jamesfrazierwilson
Related Stories:
— Curtain Call: Freshman Fifteen makes ‘F15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20!’ concert count
— A guide to Northwestern’s vibrant comedy scene
— The aca-demic handbook: Your guide to NU’s 12 a cappella groups
