Ready to skip sleep? Hillel Theater Group and Tympanium Euphorium are putting on a 24-hour musical from 8 p.m. this Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday, pitting the school's most ambitious singers, dancers and actors against the tribulations of rehearsing a full musical in 24 hours. If you're interested in having a once-in-a-lifetime theater experience, auditions began this past Monday and run through Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Carl J. Shapiro Theater. The show is an excellent way to start off the Undergraduate Theater Collective's season-one filled with many incredible plays. The hilarity and fun of the 24-hour musical shows off the mass of talent avaliable at Brandeis and a taste of what is to be expected in future shows. The 24-hour musical is a great opportunity for first-years to meet everyone involved in UTC as well as experience the challenges of memorizing lines at the last minute.

The show isn't only for first-years though; members from all class years can take part in this experience of musical endurance. Nothing is disclosed about the show until Saturday night, when the directors reveal the mass-speculated title of the musical as well as the entire cast list. Over the course of the following extremely intense 24 hours, rehearsals begin, the set is built, costumes are made, dances are taught and songs are practiced. Everything, all intricately planned in advance by the directors Andrew Litwin '11, Julie Stein '11 and Robert Orzalli '11, comes together for the one-night-only performance. By 8 p.m. Sunday, the auditorium is overflowing with students as the sleep-deprived yet thrilled cast and crew prepare to take the stage.

The theater was over capacity with people sitting in the aisles and standing at the back of the theater at last year's production Legally Blonde: The Jewsical, as it was at Spamalot the year before.

So what kind of musical should students expect to see and perform this year? Both Legally Blonde and Spamalot were based off of Broadway musical comedies that focused on outlandish parody, extravagant set pieces and humorous musical numbers. The title this year will most likely have a light-hearted story, unserious or in-your-face dialogue and a lot of fun songs. Perhaps a Brandesian take on Avenue Q or Hairspray? Regardless of the choice of musical, it's always great to see a group of performers dedicated enough to forgo sleep and study to rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse. Nicole Litvak '12, who spoke with justArts about the 24-hour musical phenomenon, emphasized the event's popularity at the school. "It's always a big fun show," she said, "and there's always a ton of people in it."

Auditions will be held today until Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. in the Carl J. Shapiro Theater located inside the Shapiro Campus Center.