Laughter and music conclude the 2023 homecoming

Sydney Anderson

She/Her

Staff Writer

10/1/23

On Saturday, September 30th, one of Plymouth State’s most loved campus traditions, homecoming, was celebrated. To finish off a day jam-packed with entertainment, PSU alumni Todd Angilly ‘99 and Carolyn Plummer ‘97 took to the stage at Silver Center for the Arts to perform a show that combined music and comedy titled Humor and Harmony. 

Plummer, a Boston comedian native to Wolfeboro known for her performances at Burbank Comedy Festival and the Boston Comedy Festival, opened the show at 7 pm in the Smith Recital Hall with an audience of both PSU alumni and family members of students eager to see the show. Despite having a rather nasty sunburn from the 1 p.m. football game against Framingham State University, Plummer began her set with an onslaught of jokes regarding her haircut, self-described as false advertising due to its short nature. 

Plummer’s humor was an enjoyable combination of vulgar but audience-appropriate. She joked that she was once a stripper in Vermont, but was told to “pack up [her] thongs”. Contrastingly, she followed this with a string of biblical jokes, which garnered laughs from all those in the crowd who hadn’t laughed at her previous, more scandalous remarks. Plummer’s jokes for the rest of her set relied much on local humor, as she detailed her near encounters with bears and her time at PSU, where she was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority. According to Plummer, she “majored in drinking”, which was a big hit with the crowd. 

Plummer ended her amusing and witty set by introducing Todd Angilly, the Boston Bruins anthem singer and classically trained opera performer. Angilly, accompanied by PSU percussion instructor Tim Gilmore on drums, Tom Robinson on piano, and John Hunter on bass, performed a series of timeless crowd favorites. Jazz lovers will be devastated to hear that they missed Angilly’s setlist: “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, “All of Me” by Billie Holiday, and “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole were among the many hits performed by the band. Despite only knowing each other for a few hours according to Angilly, the band performed together seamlessly and the music flowed through the room.

Angilly’s smooth voice was accompanied by the gentle instrumentals, making for a fluid ensemble that was much appreciated by the audience, who were swaying and humming along. Angilly, who is originally from Rhode Island, also noted his Angilly Opportunity Scholarship, in which all of the show’s proceeds were donated to.

Humor and Harmony was a sweet, enjoyable end to a rambunctious weekend of events. Myself along with the audience enjoyed the intimate element of the Recital Hall combined with Plummer’s relatable New England humor and Angilly’s soft jazz. The event wasn’t one to be missed, and those who weren’t able to attend should look forward to next year’s Homecoming events!