Mopco's Spontaneous Broadway: High-wire act with show tunes

May 05, 2026

Hey 518 readers, we’ve been meaning to visit Mopco for a while now. The homegrown improv theater recently celebrated its 30th year in the Capital Region. This Saturday, Mopco is bringing back Spontaneous Broadway, in which a whole musical is conceived and performed, with suggestions from the audience! Keep reading to learn more…

🖼️ In the rush to put on opening night for Kiddie Pool’s “Americana/ble” group show last week, we totally omitted the opening reception for Albany Center Gallery’s newest exhibition—”threads: weaving an intricate banner.” In partnership with Asian Arts New York (AANY) and 518sian, the show features the work of 13 local and regional artists. Please do check it out!

🍏 Finally, The 518 Happy Hour returns to Nine Pin tomorrow, May 6, from 6 to 8 pm. Get to the Tasting Room to meet our awesome community of subscribers and enjoy 10% off all cider pours—mention The 518 Crew! Look for the table with the beavers 🦫 See you there!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Mopco’s Spontaneous Broadway is a full-on improvised musical 📷️ Courtesy of Mopco

Mopco’s Spontaneous Broadway is a high-wire act with show tunes

At Mopco Improv Theatre, the curtain rises before the show even exists.

That’s the magic trick behind Spontaneous Broadway, the returning concept at Schenectady’s homegrown improv theater. 

Mopco, which recently celebrated its 30th year, has been making the Capital Region laugh for decades. In its intimate Jay Street theater where there are only four rows of seats, the audience is close enough to feel like part of the cast. Which is kind of the point. 

The setup is deliciously ridiculous: The audience writes down fake song titles. Performers pull them from a hat. Act One becomes a “backers audition,” with snippets from imaginary musicals. Then the audience votes. After a 15-minute intermission, the cast returns with a full-on, 45-minute musical based on the winning suggestion. Complete with costumes and sets.

No script. No safety net. No room for even one rehearsal.

For the actors, it’s terrifying. For the audience, it’s exhilarating to see the creative process up close and personal.

Kat Koppett, Mopco’s co-director and Spontaneous co-creator with NYC’s Freestyle Rep Theatre, says the performers don’t disappear backstage to write the show. They simply ask, “What did we say in the setup?” Then they choose where to begin, who starts, and let the rest unfold.

“We are spontaneously co-creating the songs with our musician, and the improvisors,” Kat says. “You get to help create and then witness the making of a musical. It’s really something to see.”

Mopco founder and theater director Michael Burns calls it “a high wire improv act,” and he is not exaggerating. This is not just cracking jokes in show-tune form. It takes improvisors who are singers and storytellers, as well as a brilliant accompanist, costumes, sets, and a cast with nerves of steel.

Michael puts it another way: “It is completely impossible, like much of theater, but somehow it all comes together.”

That’s the thrill. Every night is different. So different, Kat says, that even seasoned Mopco audiences sometimes come back, just to test the actors: “You really did improvise that!”

Spontaneous Broadway also hits the sweet spot Mopco has always aimed for: live theater that is smart, silly, risky, and affordable. As Michael says, “You can actually go to the theater and be involved.”

The deets: Spontaneous Broadway launches this Saturday for a very limited run. Additional shows on May 16, May 30, and June 6. Tickets are $19 for general admission; and $10 for students, seniors, active military, vets, and first responders. Get tickets at Mopco.org.

🥞 The Times Union is out with its Best of the Capital Region winners for 2026. It’s essentially a popularity contest, so there’s bound to be some head scratchers on this annual list. There are several new categories this year, including Best Bar (Ryan’s Wake) and Best Upscale Dining (677 Prime). [Times Union]

🇮🇹 After some high-profile deli closures (Genoa’s Importing and Gershon’s Deli), it’s nice to know that Ragonese Italian Imports is holding strong. “If something works for us, we don’t change,” John Ragonese tells the Albany Business Review.

🎸 Schenectady has just announced a new summer concert series. Kicking off on May 28, the Electric City SummerFest will be held at Broadway and Liberty Street, and feature original bands and tribute acts from rock and funk to blues and country. [News10]

🥓 The TU’s Steve Barnes pays homage to the bacon egg cheese sammie at Eggy’s in Albany, which just opened for the season. [Times Union]

A rare passive solar home designed by renowned local architect/engineer Bruce Brownell, this cedar-built sanctuary in Rexford blends self-regulating energy efficiency with striking architectural character. Sun-filled southern glazing, a multi-level open layout, loft spaces, a gallery lounge, and an elevated deck create a home that feels both imaginative and deeply connected to nature. Recent upgrades—including high-end appliances, updated electrical, and a new boiler—add modern comfort without compromising its one-of-a-kind spirit. Set on 6+ acres with established edible gardens, stone walls, magnolias, and private walking trails, this whimsical retreat is unlike anything else on the market.

You know what else is in Rexford? The Vischer Ferry General Store, which we’ve been dying to visit for awhile now.

The deets: 2 bd, 2 ba, 1423 sf., 6.2 acres. Asking: $420,000. Days on market: 4. See the full listing here.

Note: The 518 Weekender now publishes on Thursdays. Watch your inboxes!

TUESDAY

Get to the NYS Writers Institute at UAlbany for a discussion on “Responsibility, Power and Justice in the Age of AI.”

🥕 Join The Vegetable Project tonight at Albany School for the Humanities for its annual fundraiser, An Evening in the Garden.

WEDNESDAY

🎷 The Capital Jazz Collective drops into Dove & Deer for a groovy session. On Friday, they’re also at the New Scotland Tasting Room for a night of jazz, funk & good vibes.

👟 Join the Historic Albany Foundation for its Pine Hills Architectural Walking Tour.

🌹 Here’s something you can’t refuse: Get to Indian Ladder Farms for a screening of The Godfather with live commentary and a spaghetti dinner from DeFazio’s.

THURSDAY

🗽 Kiddie Pool’s “Americana/ble” show continues with a Monuments Walking Tour, hosted by Alexis Bhagat. Discover the stories behind some of the capital city’s most interesting monuments.

🍷 The Troy Wine Co. invites you to find that perfect bottle for mama at FOR THE MOMS in-store wine tasting and class.

🌼 The Artfully Unique Gallery is hosting a Pressed Flower Bookmark-making workshop for a $5 donation.

📚️ Join two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist David Nasaw in conversation about the trauma behind America’s "Greatest Generation.”

FRIDAY

🎸 The Monkey and the Crowbar bring their unique blend of Americana to Wolf Hollow Brewing Company.

SATURDAY

🌷 The Albany Tulip Festival—the city’s marquee event—takes over Washington Park this weekend.

🇯🇵 We’re super excited for this one: Ebisu, billed as “Albany’s biggest Japanese store,” is opening it doors on Wolf Road for the first time.

🕰️ The Basilica Farm & Flea Spring Market is a great way to spend some time with Mom.

💀 The Twilight Market is back at Quackenbush Square!

🎻 The Albany Symphony pays homepage to arguably the famous living composer with “Star Wars & More: The Music of John Williams.”

🖼️ LIGHT EATERS, a new public art installation by Gracelee Lawrence reimagines plant life in the hardscape of Troy, NY. Opening reception at Collar Works.

🌿 The Delmar Farmers Market hosts a Mothers Day Planting.

🧳 Join Curated Travel Magazine for an immersive, come‑as‑you‑wish walkthrough of the May/June issue, The Art of Taste. At the Troy Public Library.

🌲 It’s opening weekend at WildPlay Thacher.

SUNDAY

🎙️ Iron & Wine, one of our all-time favorite singer-songwriters, performs at The Egg.

🌺 NOTABLE EVENTS — MOTHER’S DAY EDITION

ART ON VIEW

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