Varsity Show
| Varsity Show | |
| |
| Founded: | 1894 |
| Recognition: | ABC |
| Membership: | 22 |
| Executive Board: | V127 Christian Palomares, Director Mario Garcia, Producer Julia Hyman, Producer Grace Biondi, Stage Manager Grace Brown, Stage Manager Gigi Russo, Writer Wesley Schmidt, Writer Evan Smolin, Composer Abby Rooney, Lyricist Angela Zhang, Choreographer Octavio Galaviz, Production Designer |
| Category: | Performance |
| Website: | http://www.thevarsityshow.com |
| Contact: | varsity@columbia.edu |
- See also Wikipedia's article about "Varsity Show".
The Varsity Show, founded in 1894 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, is one of the university's oldest traditions, and certainly its oldest performing arts tradition. Every year, the Varsity Show produces a unique full-length show that skews and satirizes many aspects of life at Columbia. And every year, students, administrators, and many more members of the Columbia community pack Roone Arledge Auditorium to engage in the century-old tradition of the Varsity Show.
Ironically, many of the administrators being parodied and lambasted are often sitting in the front rows of the audience. No study has been conducted to determine whether these administrators realize there's a reason they're being ridiculed on stage.
Historically, most of the show's revenue came from ticket sales. However, in recent years, ticket prices have been free in order to increase accessibility to the production.
Past directors and writers include such distinguished names as Oscar Hammerstein, Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, I. A. L. Diamond, and Herman Wouk.
Contents
Show Preparations
In early October, the previous year's creative team interviews and auditions candidates to succeed them, and chooses a creative team of eight or nine students, filling the following roles: producer, director, writer, composer/lyricist, choreographer, and art director. The newly-minted creative team runs auditions for actors in late November/early December. The Varsity Show is notoriously the most selective casting process in Columbia theatre, and the results are always the result of much gossip and debate. Though the numbers vary from year to year, around 150 people audition for the show, singing a one-minute song selection, performing a scene with a random partner, and sometimes being asked to do improv comedy. From this group, around 25 people are asked to attend cast callbacks. An invitation to callbacks is automatically extended to performers from past Varsity Shows. Callbacks are typically held on a Saturday from 8am until 3pm. Those who have been called back perform a monologue of a "Columbia character," do improv within said character, and learn an original song and dance. From the performers that participate in callbacks, the creative team casts twelve to fifteen. The debates over casting notoriously span hours, and the new cast is welcomed into the Varsity family through a special ritual that's stuff of rumors and legend (although pictorial evidence shows that cream pies are somewhat involved).
West End Preview
Around mid-February, the Varsity Show team presents a cutting of some scenes and songs that have been written so far to the general public at Havana Central. This tradition dates back to before the West End Bar was replaced by Havana Central, as the name suggests. For a nominal fee, the general public is encouraged to come preview the work that the Varsity Show team has produced. As of 2015, the West End Preview is performed on campus. The show is used as a way to try out the material on a real student audience however the true plot of the show is kept concealed by creating a new plot for West End Preview or presenting songs out of context.
Turkey Day
Midway through March, alumni of past Varsity Show creative teams and casts are welcome to watch a full draft of the Varsity Show, and are then welcome to submit critiques for the purpose of creating the best show for the general public. The discussions and original draft of the show previewed at Turkey Day are highly confidential[1].
Days on Campus
During Days on Campus, visiting prospective students get to watch portions of the newest Varsity Show as one of their activities. Notably in 2015, the administration objected to the content in the 2015 show and instead members of previous Varsity Shows were asked to perform older songs [2].
Through the Gates
During NSOP, members of previous Varsity Shows are welcome to come back and perform a "cabaret" of past Varsity Show songs and skits for the incoming first-year class in Roone.
Trivia
- The Varsity Show coined the term "PrezBo".
- Sometimes called VShow or Veesh.
- "Roar, Lion, Roar" is based on a Varsity Show melody.
See also
- Varsity Show performances
- "Sing A Song of Morningside" - A history of the Varsity Show
- The Varsity Show: A Columbia Tradition, University Archives Online Exhibit
