Summer Classics: BMFI Staff Picks

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager, BMFI 

Our annual Summer Classics series of repertory favorites from Hollywood and beyond begins next week, Tuesday, June 4, with the original King Kong. All summer long, we’ll be featuring vintage and recent classics on the big screen, with film series celebrating iconic filmmakers Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean, three new sing-alongs, the new 90th anniversary DCP restoration of Harold Lloyd’s silent comedy Safety Last!, and one night Summer Classic Seminars on Back to the Future and Brief Encounter. In addition, for the first time we’re featuring family films on Saturday mornings all summer long, including a month of the Marx Brothers!

We asked some of our staff to tell us what they're most looking forward to seeing at BMFI this summer. Do you agree? What are you excited to see?

Little Shop of Horrors Sing-along – Wednesday, June 12, 7:00 pm
Chosen by Kerri Grogan, Staff Assistant

I don't know about you, but I make it a habit to sing along with every musical I know, every time I watch them. And what's more fun than a campy musical about carnivorous alien plants? Answer: watching campy musicals about carnivorous alien plants on a big screen...and singing along with everyone in the theater. It sounds like it's gonna be a blast.


Sing along with Rick Moranis, who plays Seymour, the caretaker to the floral menace known as Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors.

Safety Last! – Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 pm
Chosen by Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., Director of Education

I’m very much looking forward to Safety Last! (1923) because though it’s Harold Lloyd’s most famous film, it really hasn’t been seen by a large segment of the contemporary audience, and this style of daring, physical comedy—similarly performed by Lloyd’s (even) more famous peers, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle—is a lost art that needs to be preserved, and enjoyed, through theatrical screenings like this one. Also, I think, not unlike “Rosebud,” far more people know the image of a man dangling from a clock, (apparently) high above a city street, than have actually seen the film from which it originates, and I like that people who come to see the film will be reminded of that connection—or make it for the first time.


Harold Lloyd hangs precariously from the clock of a New York skyscraper in Safety Last!

Back to the Future - Tuesday, July 2
Film at 7:00 pm
Summer Classics Seminar at 6:30 pm
Chosen by Valerie Temple, Programming Manager

I'm teaching a Summer Classics Seminar on Back to the Future, but that's only part of the reason I'm looking forward to seeing the time travelling adventure on the big screen. Even though I've seen this particular film approximately 192 times (at least), I've never had the pleasure of seeing it on the big screen. Finally, I'll get to see that souped up DeLorean zooming across a screen larger than my TV! I am worried that I'll disturb the other patrons as I know the dialogue by heart and can't help but quote along with the movie. So, if you come to the screening and I'm making too much of a ruckus, don't hesitate to tell me to "make like a tree and get out of there!"

Great Scott! Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox are perfectly cast in Back to the Future.

Brief Encounter - Tuesday, August 13
Film at 7:00 pm
Summer Classics Seminar at 6:30 pm
Chosen by Pat Wesley, Director of Development and Communications

I am not sure which pairing is less likely: two thirty-something, properly married (to others) war-time Brits or David Lean and Noël Coward. I do know the result is a wistful, tender Brief Encounter and I can’t wait to get lost again in the foggy heartbreak of it all.

Celia Johnson, boarding a train, shares a poignant look with Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter. 

Heavyweights – Saturday, August 17, 11:00 am
Chosen by Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., Director of Education

I’ve never seen Heavyweights, but I’m very much looking forward to completing the trilogy of Ben Stiller-as-extremely-fit-but-dumb-as-a-bag-of-hammers-guy films that also includes Zoolander (2001) and Dodgeball (2004). Given the Disney branding and family-friendly elements of this film, I’m not expecting for the hilarity to be quite as ribald as it was in those films, but on the other hand, with co-writer/executive producer Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) behind the scenes, and comic talents like Paul Feig (director of Bridesmaids), Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), and comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara on screen, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed.


Ben Stiller stars in Heavyweights as the insane (and insanely strict) fitness coach at Camp Hope.

For my part, although many of these films are personal favorites, I am particularly excited to bring a recent delight back to BMFI: Magic Camp, which we'll be showing on Monday, July 15 at 1:15 pm. If you missed our Pennsylvania Premiere of the film in December, this is your chance to see this charming documentary about Tannen's Magic Camp on the big screen again, with the added bonus of a Q&A with director Judd Ehrlich and performances by professional magicians who are instructors at the camp. Plus, it was filmed a few blocks away at Bryn Mawr College, where the camp meets!

Meet Magic Camp filmmaker Judd Ehrlich and campers and instructors from Tannen's Magic Camp at BMFI's encore of this fun documentary.

You can explore all of our films and upcoming events, watch trailers, and buy tickets at BrynMawrFilm.org, or look at the latest issue of Projections, our program guide.

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Devin Wachs is the Public Relations Manager for Bryn Mawr Film Institute. She joined BMFI in 2005, following her graduation from Bryn Mawr College. If you send BMFI a message on Facebook or Twitter or are interested in onscreen sponsorships, she's the one who'll be in touch!

Spring Breakdown: Recent Events at BMFI

By Kerri Grogan, BMFI Staff Assistant

Spring is officially in full swing, and so is the programming here at BMFI! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Here are some of our recent highlights.

Critically Acclaimed: An Evening with the Critics

Film critics and enthusiasts alike gathered for the highly anticipated "Critically Acclaimed: An Evening with the Critics". The May 10 event celebrated film criticism and honored four top film critics—A. O. Scott, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Carrie Rickey, and Steven Rea—who discussed their work and what's in store for film criticism in the 21st century. BMFI President Juliet Goodfriend moderated the in-theater event, which was recorded by SpectiCast and is now available for digital distribution to art house theaters across the country. A Dinner with the Critics, hosted at the Merion Cricket Club, followed the main event.



Juliet Goodfriend greets the evening’s speakers (left to right: A. O. Scott, Steven Rea, Lisa Schwarzbaum, and Carrie Rickey) before the program begins, while guests enjoy a reception in the atrium.

In the theater, our guest critics participate in a lively discussion about the future of film criticism.

Science on Screen Film Series
"Does science really work like it does in the movies?" BMFI explored this question with its Science on Screen series, which paired classic and recent films with introductory talks by notable figures from related scientific fields who discussed their work and research. Audiences explored archaeology with Dr. Harrison Eiteljorg II before Raiders of the Lost Ark, delved into computer game production with indie game designer Halsted Larsson (Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony) in honor of Wreck-It Ralph, got a taste of food anthropology with Dr. Solomon Katz to whet their appetites for Babette’s Feast, and braved the elements with Dr. Raluca Ellis in anticipation of Future Weather. The series was made possible by a grant from the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Indie game designer Halsted Larsson of Final Form Games talked shop before audiences were wowed by Wreck-It Ralph.

Food anthropologist Solomon Katz, Ph.D., signs the guestbook before our screening of Babette’s Feast. Guests also enjoyed some tasty French pastries before the show.



Future Weather producer Kristin Fairweather (left) poses with Science on Screen speaker Raluca Ellis, Ph.D., and Philadelphia Women in Film and Television (PWIFT)’s Veronica Stickelman. Following the film, Kristin answered audience questions in a panel introduced by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office and moderated by PWIFT.

Tri-Co Film Festival
Attendees from Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Swarthmore College were dressed to the nines for the second Tri-Co Film Festival on May 1. Community members and students alike enjoyed the one-night festival, which featured 23 amazing films created by students at the three schools. The program was curated by students and judged by Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer at the Sundance Film Festival.

Student filmmakers receive the red carpet treatment in the atrium before the start of the event. Photo credit: Bryn Mawr College.

Juliet Goodfriend (center) clowns around with one of the student curators and faculty advisor Roya Rastegar, Ph.D. Photo credit: Bryn Mawr College.

Oliver! Sing-along
Guests were treated to a live performance by the Footlighters Theater players before belting out their favorite tunes as the Academy Award-winning film version of Oliver! played on the big screen.

Several cast members from Footlighters Theater’s current production of Oliver! performed before BMFI’s sing-along to the film version!

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Kerri Grogan is BMFI’s Staff Assistant, and although her first love is animation, she moonlights as a dice-rolling, video gaming geek and comic artist.

Erin Korth: Why I Love THE SOUND OF MUSIC

In celebration of our enormously popular annual The Sound of Music Sing-along on Tuesday, December 18, BMFI Intern Erin Korth shares why she loves this "utterly irresistable" classic. Check back for more posts from BMFI staff and community members that discuss the films we love.

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Why I Love The Sound of Music
By Erin Korth, BMFI Intern

 

I joined the musical appreciation club a bit late in my movie-watching career. For years my parents were haunted by the sounds of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on permanent repeat, and while I did enjoy the occasional musical film outside the animated genre, if it didn't involve a dancing candlestick, I generally wasn't interested. That's since changed.

There is something about the musical genre that gives it an aura of timelessness. Watching the luminous Julie Andrews charm her way into the hearts of the von Trapp clan, even for the first time, feels like sinking into a warm and well-worn armchair, and while my first time watching The Sound of Music was just a few years ago, I think on it with the fondness of having loved it all my life. 


Julie Andrews fills the hills with "the sound of music" in the 1965 film.

But what is it, exactly, that makes this film so utterly irresistible? 

Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer

Is there anything more toe-curling than watching the steely-eyed Captain von Trapp fall for that indecently optimistic Maria? He’s miserable and wry and she makes clothes out of his curtains, and by the middle of the film I’m head-over-heels for the love story I never even saw coming (because she is a nun, after all). The snappy duo share screen time and hero credentials with an almost draconian evenness. Christopher Plummer sulks in the background as Andrews melts the hearts of Austria with her guitar and her inability to take orders from anybody, and after the wedding (the film’s figurative and literal midpoint), Plummer plays with all the good humor and coifed hair of a proper Disney prince, defeating the Nazis, and even crooning a tearful goodbye to his beloved Austria in the process. Plummer likened working with Julie Andrews to “being hit over the head with a big Valentine’s Day Card, every day.” I can only say that watching the couple spring across screen with all of their smiles, scowls, and songs has much the same effect.



Maria and Captain von Trapp share a moment while dancing the ländler.

Triumph against the odds

Let’s face it; despite the flowers and frolicking on the movie poster, this film is pretty dark. There's Maria, who wants so badly to be a nun, but just can’t find the self-discipline. The young von Trapp family is subject to the misguided parenting of the grieving, widowed Captain who doesn’t know how to relate to his children. Lurking behind the beautiful scenery and iconic songs is the ever-present Nazi party, with their very clear message for the von Trapps: join or die. Yet even the impending danger does not detract from the just-plain-happiness that underlines this wonderful story. Maria and the von Trapps find joy in music and each other, and in the end, defeat the bad guys with a song and a morning hike over the Swiss Alps. It doesn’t get much more uplifting than that.


Spoiler alert: the von Trapps have a happy ending.

The sound of all that music

Even before I saw the film, bought the soundtrack, and noted it on my top ten list of favorite movies, I knew at least three Sound of Music songs by heart. This wasn't due to my love of show tunes, but simply by merit of having been a child at one point in my life. Much like that theme of familial happiness that overshadows even the threat of Nazism, each song in The Sound of Music has such joie de vivre that they have no trouble becoming instant and often-sung classics. Whether it be learning the notes of a scale, braving a thunderstorm, or lamenting with Liesl about all of the things I still don’t understand, each time I watch this film I fall in love completely and all over again with the joyful, achingly catchy music, “whether or not I should”.


The family "do-re-mi"s their worries away.

Are you a Sound of Music fan? What are some of your favorite musicals?

Get your toes tapping with Maria and the von Trapps at BMFI’s two sing-along showings of The Sound of Music on Tuesday, December 18 at 7:00 pm and 7:15 pm. Free popcorn if you wear a costume!
 

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Erin Korth is currently an intern at BMFI and a thesis-writing senior at Bryn Mawr College, studying English and Film Studies. Along with The Sound of Music, some of her favorite films include It's a Wonderful Life, The Sting, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Bringing Up Baby, Titus, and The Hurt Locker.

La Vie Boheme at BMFI: Seven Facts about RENT

By Dan Santelli, Programming Intern, BMFI

First staged in January 1996, Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking rock opera Rent has established itself as a capstone of the modern musical. Earning three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for its original stage production, Rent has taken on a life of its own in America’s pop culture and has garnered a massive cult following of devoted fans dubbed “Rent-heads”.

Now, Bryn Mawr Film Institute is proud to host a special sing-along screening of director Chris Columbus’ film adaptation of the Broadway show on Tuesday, September 11 at 7:30 pm. Free popcorn if you wear a costume!




"Would you light my candle?" Adam Pascal and Rosario Dawson in Chris Columbus's 2005 film adaptation of Rent.

Show off on Tuesday night with these seven trivia facts about Rent.

SEVEN FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT RENT:

1. Originally conceived by playwright Billy Aronson, Rent is a musical update of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La bohème. The title of Puccini’s opera is directly referenced in Rent’s signature song, La Vie Boheme. That’s why members of the prestigious Opera Company of Philadelphia will perform a number from their production of La bohème prior to Bryn Mawr Film Institute's screening.
 
2. Lamentably, Rent’s creator Jonathan Larson passed away less than 24 hours before the premiere of his show in January 1996.
 
3. Larson pulled from personal life experiences to create his characters. For example, Maureen dumps the central figure, Mark, for Joanne in Rent, which mirrored a real-life event where Larson’s girlfriend left him for a woman.
 
4. With the exception of two principals, all the major performers in Columbus’ film are reprising the roles they played on stage.



Take Angel's advice: Wear a costume to BMFI's Rent sing-along! 
 
5. Despite capturing the look and feel of 1980s Greenwich Village, director Chris Columbus shot most of Rent on soundstages at Warner Bros. studios and select exteriors in San Francisco. Only one scene, which featured the La Vie Boheme number, was shot on location in New York City.
 
6. Producer Robert De Niro sought to have his long-time friend and collaborator, Martin Scorsese, direct the adaptation. When Scorsese fell through, Columbus stepped in to helm the film.
 
7. For casting the role of Maureen’s girlfriend, Joanne, director Columbus auditioned an array of talent from established stars to American Idol contestants. One of those Idol contestants was Jennifer Hudson, who ultimately lost the role to Tracie Thoms (Death Proof). Jennifer Hudson went on to portray Effie in Bill Condon’s screen adaptation of Dreamgirls (another Broadway sensation), for which she won her Oscar.

So what are you waiting for? Make a plan with your Rent-head friends, dress the parts (should you want free popcorn!), and warm up your vocal chords, as we celebrate the “Seasons of Love” at this unforgettable sing-along event.



The cast collectively sings "La Vie Boheme" in the famous Life Cafe in Greenwich Village.

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Dan Santelli, BMFI's Programming Intern, is a 2012 graduate of Temple University with a Bachelor's degree in Film and Media Arts. A lifelong cineaste, his favorite films (in no particular order) include Leon: The Professional, The Night of the Hunter, Touch of Evil, Blue Velvet, Brazil, Apocalypse Now, Dressed To Kill (1980), Halloween, and Les Yeux Sans Visage.

Costumes Fantastic at Sold-out THE SOUND OF MUSIC Sing-along!

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager

Last night's The Sound of Music Sing-along was sold out nearly two weeks in advance, and the audience's commitment to this holiday tradition was telling: we had some of the best costumes yet!
Take a look at a few of the costumes that we caught on camera. Which ones are your favorites?

Also, for more pictures, check out Amanda Mahnke's article on Bryn Mawr-Gladwyne Patch.com.

Jess Gaito, Sarah Beltz, and James Paul Johnson sported alpine dress.

No "nun-sense" for Jeffrey and Elaine Pringle!

Lorraine Troiano dressed in a habit, while, Lola and Jessica Troiano were "girls in white dresses".

The members of the Newcomers Club of the Upper Main Line's Songbirds group were "whiskers on kittens". 

The McFadden sisters (Kristin, Lauren, and Andrea) were "brown paper packages tied up with string"!

Caitlin Kelly, Colleen Donovan, Joe Turner, Beth Hutton, Alejandro Fernandez, and Julie Hutton got into the Bavarian spirit.

Bryn Mawr Film Institute does sing-alongs to classic musicals on a regular basis. We don't have any more sing-alongs scheduled for this winter, but check our website for updates.

Salesmen and Librarians Delight at THE MUSIC MAN Sing-along

By Devin Wachs, Public Relations Manager

The crowd wowed at last night's sing-along screening of The Music Man with over 200 attendees of all ages, many of whom came in costume! We had Marion the Librarians, travelling salesmen, a Grecian Urn, and even one "Gary, Indiana". Check out some of our favorite costumes below.

Sing-along Success
The crowd was out the door for The Music Man Sing-along.

Greek 'n Gary
Gioia Sharp came as the head of the Ladies' Auxiliary Committee, Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn, played in the film by Hermione Gingold. (Fans might remember that the women practice posing like Grecian urns.) Gioia's brother, Greg DiLoreto, is Gary, Indiana! 

Shh!
Swarthmore College librarian (and sing-along regular) Danie Martin takes a break from work to dress up as... Marion the Librarian! 

Join the Band
Loann Scarpato toots her own horn... er, trombone.

Study break!
Cara Anne got into the spirit as Marion the Librarian, posing here with pal Emily Trueswell.

Travelling Saleswoman
Watch out, Harold Hill, Jennie Teti might beat you to the sale.  

White Glove Test
Doug and Anne Holsclawe were beautifully accessorized with a parasol, white gloves, hat, and, of course, the complimentary popcorn they received for wearing a costume!   

Thanks for coming everyone! An enthusiastic audience is what makes these events so much fun.

If you already like our sing-alongs or think you might want to attend your first one, we have two favorites back at BMFI this fall: The Wizard of Oz on Tuesday, November 22 and The Sound of Music on Wednesday, December 21! Remember, if you wear a costume to our sing-alongs, you get a free small popcorn.

Juliet Goodfriend: Why I Love GUYS AND DOLLS

We all have our favorite movies. Sometimes they inspire us, or remind us of sharing a popcorn bucket with someone special, or make us laugh even though we can deliver the lines ourselves in our sleep. One of the wonderful things about working at BMFI is that we get to share some of our favorite films with you; we hope they might become some of your favorites, too. BMFI's President, Juliet Goodfriend, contributes the first in a series of posts written by BMFI staff and volunteers about the movies they love that are showing this summer at BMFI.

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Why I Love Guys and Dolls
Juliet Goodfriend, BMFI President

My memory of Guys and Dolls precedes the movie. I think my parents went to the try-outs for [the stage production of] Guys and Dolls in Philadelphia in 1950. As they did with every musical they saw, they brought home sheet music from the performance and my brother, sister, father, mother, and I sang the songs as Mom played them on the piano. So the music became imbedded in my memory, in my very being.

Well, when the movie came out I saw it first (and subsequently two more times) at the Erlen Theater on Ogontz Avenue in Philadelphia in 1955. That theater had a midnight blue ceiling with gold stars and around the edges of the auditorium was the silhouette of a Spanish--or was it a Moorish?--city. It was very exotic and romantic. 

Hearing Frank Sinatra's golden tones blended in my imagination with Marlon Brando's gorgeous "bad boy" looks and kept me rapt through all three viewings.  I imagined someone was singing those love songs to me.  Not "someone"--no, Marlon himself! Even if his voice did not compare with Sinatra's, his earnest, apologetic, and strangely innocent singing and dialogue won my heart. The story? The plot? Oh, not nearly so important as the songs.... they still work magic for me.

Join Juliet at Bryn Mawr Film Institute's sing-along screening of Guys and Dolls on Wednesday, June 29 at 7:00pm. Free popcorn if you wear a costume!

Filmmaker Appearance and FIDDLER Sing-along: A Good Week for BMFI Special Events

By Meredith Slifkin, BMFI Intern

Thanks to everyone who has been coming out to attend special events at BMFI! Last Tuesday, May 18, we were honored to have filmmaker Tigre Hill join us for a screening of his documentary, The Barrel of a Gun, and last night, Wednesday, May 25, everyone had a great time at the Fiddler on the Roof Sing-along. There was singing, dancing, matchmaking (maybe). Below are a few photos from the events:

Filmmaker Tigre Hill at The Barrel of a Gun screening and Q&A

Rachel Hancock, Asher Hancock, and Levi Hancock with grandmother Sybil Terres Gilmar in costume! 

Bernie Brenner also in costume at the Fiddler on the Roof Sing-along

Dan Schwartz in the same costume that he wore when he played Tevye at St. Joseph's Prep!

Thanks again to everyone who came out and helped to make these events a success. If you missed out on the sing-along, don't fret. Check out our upcoming Singing in the Summer film series!

Supercalifragilistic: MARY POPPINS Sing-along a Hit!

Last night, Wednesday, August 4, Bryn Mawr Film Institute celebrated everyone's favorite magical nanny with a sing-along screening of Mary Poppins. A sell-out, the screening was the perfect way to conclude our "Singing in the Summer" series of sing-alongs! The 1964 Disney hit starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke still inspires the imagination as much today as ever--patrons of all ages came out decked as suffragettes, chimney sweeps, a penguin, and Mary herself! (As with all of our sing-alongs, everyone who came in costume got free popcorn.)

Check out the pictures and see the costumes for yourself. Which one is your favorite?

 Visiting all the way from Dortmund, Germany, Oskar Schleicher, Christina Weinmann, and Annicka Weinmann (right to left) joined Rosemont's Mimi Weinmann. The first group in line, their costumes ran the gamut!

These junior chimney sweeps made our Mary Poppins a family reunion. Three branches of the family gathered together just to sing along with Mary. From right to left: Sam Rovito, Ben Rovito, Shane Baeur, Matthew Dickerson, Izzy Rovito, Gabby Rovito, and Abby Dickerson.  

Maddie Clancy looked adorable in a perfect adaptation of the dress Mary wears in the animated dream sequence. The sing along was the perfect opportunity to pull out her old halloween costume.

I was hoping that someone would come dressed as a penguin! Thanks, Grace Wooten, for making my wish come true. Grace is shown here with her aunt, Eileen Cunliffe. Three generations of the women in their family came to the sing along for "a girls night out" together.

Ava Soroush was merry as Mary, with her bag, umbrella, and her father Matt by her side.

Danie Martin and Emily Maxtone-Gram are both big fans of the film, and showed their support by dressing up as Mary and a chimney sweep (with a creative choice of sweeper).  

If you enjoyed this sing-along (or wish you had come), we're going to be doing two more this fall. The schedule will be announced soon. Keep an eye on our website and look out for the new issue of Projections magazine with all the details!

Shall We Sing? THE KING AND I Reigns at BMFI

Last night 150 patrons answered the question "Shall We Dance?" with a resounding "Yes!" at Bryn Mawr Film Institute's sing-along screening of THE KING AND I. The 1956 film version stars Deborah Kerr as Anna Leonowens, the feisty widow hired as school teacher to the wives and children of King Mongkut of Siam, played by the masterful Yul Brynner. A chorus of voices chimed in on such Rodgers and Hammerstein hits as "Hello Young Lovers" and "Getting to Know You" as the classic played on the big screen. As always with our sing-along screenings, patrons who came in costume received a free small popcorn!

Sing-along fan Anne O'Brien's costume is a composite: the King on the top half and Anna on the bottom! She's accompanied by Gail Bober, dressed as one of the King's wives.  

The family-friendly sing-along had some younger film fans dressed up too. Here Nina Zimmerman poses with her grandma, BMFI President Juliet Goodfriend.

Join everyone's favorite magical nanny for the final sing-along of the summer, Mary Poppins, on Wednesday, August 4 at 7:00 pm. Dress as your favorite chimney sweep and bring a kite or your very own flying umbrella to get free popcorn at BMFI's screening of this Disney musical treat!

Ooooo-KLAHOMA! Sing-along

Oh, what a beautiful evening it was at Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Wednesday, June 2. Over 125 enthusiastic patrons of all ages came out for BMFI's sing-along screening of OKLAHOMA!, the first of three sing-alongs this summer. Fans of the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit belted out such classic tunes as “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” and “People Will Say We’re in Love” as the film played on the big screen. Many even rustled up costumes in honor of the event!

Conestoga High School alums Julia Race and Emma Backe were excited
to make BMFI's sing-along a part of their summer.

Cowgirls at heart, Eileene Donnelly, Helene Snyder, and Rosemary Haggerty wore the hats and bandanas to prove it.

When asked about her lemon-bedecked hat, Pam Bentz (posing with Ted Douglas) responded, "There was a lack of citrus in Oklahoma!, and I'm here to help rectify that." 

Even BMFI President Juliet Goodfriend and the Chairman of the Board, Samuel R. Scott, wore their finest western duds to the sing-along!

If you think this sounds fun, check out the other musical classics that will get the sing-along treatment this summer at BMFI: The King and I shows on Wednesday, July 7 at 7:00pm, followed by Mary Poppins on Wednesday, August 4 at 7:00pm. Remember, patrons who come in costume receive a free small popcorn!