As I took my seat at the Iron Gate Theater and prepared myself for the first act of Bloomers’ premiere fall performance, ‘The Bachelor: Will You Accept this Show?’, I found myself surrounded by a full house. Music loudly played on speakers as last–minute stragglers (like me) settled into their seats, but it didn’t matter. Friends, parents, and student groups filled the theater with laughter and cheers for the Bloomers they’d come to support. The show hadn’t even started yet, but the audience’s buzzing and supportive energy set the tone for a truly hilarious performance.
The show opened with a short introduction followed by a head–bob–inducing musical number from the Bloomers Band. Sounds of masterly played saxophone and bass emitted from the ensemble and continued periodically throughout the show, offering a fun and jazzy transition from skit to skit.
Some of the band members traded their instruments for vocals with renditions of songs such as Kesha’s ‘Woman’. Even though this nine–piece band includes the only male Bloomer—who has a recurring internal monologue about it during the show—the amount of girl power radiating from Bloomers Band can only be epitomized by a lyric sung by their very own, “I’m a motherfucking woman!”
The actual namesake of the show follows Andy, a love–sick man who uncannily resembles, in both appearance and nature, America’s favorite orphan, Annie. But other skits resembled those of the fast–paced Saturday Night Live shows, with each one getting funnier and more ludicrous than the last. The first act included short blurbs of scenes and characters—some of which included ghosts drinking the pain of not being scary enough away, a 7th grader getting her first period and her father not knowing how to deal, and Penn students on Locust making cupcakes for refugees.
The second act, at the peak of the performance, included longer skits that put a spin on Penn "fraternity" hazing, negotiations between Donald Trump and a Genovian prime minister, and included a money–grabbing performance from none other than Amy Gutmann and her Board Girls—which had me (embarrassingly) cackling. The show ended with a line dance and musical number that captured the impressive precision and musicality that has come to characterize Bloomers.
Littered with great jams, perfectly timed skits, and funny women, this show was a great way for me to sit back, destress, and enjoy a show put on by talented peers. It also reminded me just how fucking awesome women are and left me feeling more empowered than when I walked in. Either way, if you’ve got the time this weekend, you should definitely consider checking out this feel–good show.
Buy tickets here for $12.
