The Mee-Ow Show is the longest-running university student written and produced improv, sketch comedy, and music show in the United States. Shows are produced annually by students at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...

. It was founded in 1974 by two students: Josh Lazar and Paul Warshauer. The original Mee-Ow Show, "Just in Time", was the first performance in the newly constructed McCormick Auditorium in Norris University Center (Northwestern's student union). The show was completely transformed to an Improvisational Comedy Sketch Show in 1975 and 1976 by Bill Nuss and Dusty Kay. They took their inspiration from "The Second City" in Chicago and "Kentucky Fried Theater" in Los Angeles. That format survives to this day. The show has been a significant part of the Northwestern theater and comedy scene ever since. In 2024 The Mee-Ow Show ensemble celebrates its 50th anniversary.

History

Origins

The Mee-Ow Show was founded as an alternative to the Waa-Mu Show, a long-standing revue at Northwestern University. Co-founders Paul Warshauer and Josh Lazar aimed to create a show that would embrace a wider range of creative expression, including comedy, music, and poetry. The name "Mee-Ow" is a nod to the university's Wildcat mascot and serves as a parody of the Waa-Mu name. The group's first performance was held in the McCormick Auditorium of the Norris University Center in 1974. The show included

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

, and dance, setting the standard for the show's variety.

Development and changes over time

The Mee-Ow Show evolved over the years, with a focus on short-form improv and sketch comedy. Short form sketches typically last between two and four minutes, while the improv games performed on stage are usually under three minutes. In contrast to long-form

improv Improv may refer to: *Improvisation, an act of spontaneous invention **Improvisational theatre (includes improvisational comedy) **Musical improvisation Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of im ...

(which can last up to 30 minutes), Mee-Ow's short-form approach emphasizes rapid-fire jokes and quick resolution. A live rock band was introduced in 1984 as the show celebrated its 10th anniversary, a tradition that continues to this day. The Mee-Ow Show puts on two main performances during the Winter Quarter and has occasionally held an improv show in the spring.

= Legacy and impact

= Mee-Ow has reported a significant alumni network, with several members going on to achieve notoriety in television, comedy, and acting. ''

The Daily Northwestern ''The Daily Northwestern'' is the student newspaper at Northwestern University which is published in print on Mondays and Thursdays and online daily during the academic year. Founded in 1881, and printed in Evanston, Illinois, it is staffed prim ...

'' reported that among its notable alumni are

Ana Gasteyer Ana Kristina Gasteyer (; born May 4, 1967) is an American actress, comedian and singer. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2002. She has since starred in such sitcoms as ABC's ''Suburgatory ...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus ( ; born January 13, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. She has gained acclaim for starring in a string of successful comedy series as well as several comedy films. She has received List of awards ...

and

Seth Meyers Seth Adam Meyers (born December 28, 1973) is an American comedian, television host, writer, actor, and producer. He hosts ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'', a late-night talk show on NBC. Prior to hosting Late Night, he was a cast member on NBC's ...

. The 40th anniversary of the Mee-Ow Show in 2014, was reportedly marked by performances and the participation of alumni, celebrating the ensemble's long-standing presence at Northwestern University.

Archival records

An archive of the Mee-Ow Show is maintained at the Northwestern University Archives in the

Deering Library Charles Deering Library is an academic library of Northwestern University, a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Deering served as the university's main library on the Evanston campus from 1933, when it was established, until the ...

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documenting its history from inception to the present.

External links

https://mee-owshow.com/ https://findingaids.library.northwestern.edu/repositories/6/resources/230 http://www.nuartsalliance.org/meeow https://magazine.northwestern.edu/people/mee-ow-show-gasteyer-louis-dreyfus-meyers-warshauer-lazar-reunion/

References

{{Reflist Northwestern University 1974 establishments in Illinois