Video introductions, robots constructed of cardboard boxes and glow sticks comprise Madison Guthrie’s engaging pop theatre performance in a nutshell.
Ready to Blow, the spring break event put on by the Gothic Theatre, showcased a number of talented local artists on Friday, including Guthrie who stole the show with her pop princess attitude and swagger.
At just 21-years-old, Guthrie has made a name for herself in the local music scene as well as in the modeling and acting fields.
After becoming interested in pop music at the young age of 8, Guthrie began setting up shows performing Spice Girls and Aqua tracks for her neighbors.
As a teenager she became involved in modeling and began writing and producing her own music on her computer.
“I released my songs to MySpace and was ‘discovered’ for lack of a better word,” said Guthrie. “From then on things have been happening very fast.”
For her performance at the Gothic, Guthrie created a short film starring herself and her two backup dancers, Sarah Souza and Kayla McLeod, to be used as connector between each song in her set, providing her performance with a unique element, let alone a comedic storyline.
From robbing a bank to meeting a boy on the street and getting his number to eventually waking up the next morning not remembering what happened, the girls’ story created an overall plot to the performance while showing Guthrie’s joviality.
“I didn’t want there to be any dead space on stage because we had a lot of costume changes, so I figured making a story that leads into each song would make the whole thing a lot of fun and a lot more personable,” said Guthrie in an interview with the Clarion.
“It gave the crowd a chance to get to know me and see my sense of humor, while giving the dancers and I a quick breather while we changed.”
Throughout her performance Guthrie engaged the audience by tossing glow sticks and t-shirts into the audience, blowing kisses at fans in the front row and drawing attention to various creative aspects of her set.
“I’m the same person up on stage as I am in real life – sarcastic, flirty, goofy and energetic,” said Guthrie. “I want every fan to feel like I see them and recognize that they’re there, and I hope that by doing so they know how much I appreciate their support.”
Guthrie’s incorporation of props throughout the performance brought new aspects of theatricality to her pop sensational music.
From giant heart-shaped lollipops and a cardboard robot to the tombstone and a crystal ball, Guthrie’s storylines pushed her songs beyond simplistic pop tunes to an absorbing pantomime that culminated in a great performance.
For more information and access to Guthrie’s music visit www.myspace.com/1andonlymadison.
