"This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show" may be unlike anything you've seen before. It's the same characters, but in a different musical every night.
"1812 is all comedy all the time," says Jennifer Childs, co-founder and producing artistic director for 1812 Productions. "And I've always wanted to do a sort of reality TV thing with theater."
She says the production is taking 1812 "back to our improvisational roots."
Childs teamed up with longtime friend Mary Carpenter to co-create and co-direct this world premiere piece.
Carpenter says the actors on stage are going to get suggestions from the audience for titles that "should never be a musical."
One suggestion they improvised was "An Arbor Day Story."
"And then these four performers are going to pitch them as if it's their idea for a musical," she says.
1812 Productions is presenting the 3-week run on the Arden Theatre Company's Arcadia Stage.
"We have an incredible cast of improvisers," says Carpenter. "We're just practicing a lot of different skills."
"If you're familiar with 'Waiting for Guffman' or 'This is Spinal Tap,' or any of those kinds of movies, it has very much that vibe," says Childs.
The actors will face reality TV-style challenges.
"And it's like 'Great, oh, you get to sing a villain song,'" she says.
Two actors sing, "We'll Push Her Off The Train."
"And we have an incredible musical director, Jay Rosen, who is so gifted at playing in all different styles," says Childs.
The audience votes after each challenge until only two are left to compete in a final duet challenge.
"When the audience comes back from intermission, they will vote on which one is the winner and then we'll do a 30-minute version of that musical," she says.
"And the fact that it is completely made up every night, the magic trick of it is kind of astounding," says Carpenter.
"It feels unbelievable even though I know they're improvising. Even as I watch them in the room, I'm still like, 'No way, no way!'" says Childs. "It's a really fun room to be in."
"This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show" runs September 4 - 27, 2026, on the Arcadia Stage at the Arden Theatre Company.
1812 Productions - "This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show" /
Link to tickets - The Arcadia Stage at Arden Theatre Company
Arden Theatre Company
The Arcadia Stage
40 N. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106