The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. Founded in 1893 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Columbia undergraduate community for a series of performances every April. Dedicated to producing a unique full-length musical that skewers and satirizes many dubious aspects of life at Columbia, the Varsity Show is written and performed exclusively by university undergraduates. Various renowned playwrights, composers, authors, directors, and actors have contributed to the Varsity Show, either as writers or performers, while students at Columbia, including

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

Lorenz Hart Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include "Blue Moon"; " The Lady Is a Tramp"; "Manhattan"; " Bewitched, Bo ...

Herman J. Mankiewicz Herman Jacob Mankiewicz ( ; November 7, 1897 – March 5, 1953) was an American screenwriter who, with Orson Welles, wrote the screenplay for ''Citizen Kane'' (1941). Both Mankiewicz and Welles went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Orig ...

, I. A. L. Diamond,

Herman Wouk Herman Wouk ( ; May 27, 1915 – May 17, 2019) was an American author. He published fifteen novels, many of them historical fiction such as ''The Caine Mutiny'' (1951), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Pulitzer Prize in fiction. ...

Greta Gerwig Greta Celeste Gerwig ( ; born August 4, 1983) is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director. Initially known for working on various mumblecore films, she has since expanded from acting in and co-writing independent films to directing ...

, and

Kate McKinnon Kate McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2012 to 2022, where she became known for her character work and celebrity im ...

. Having previously been staged at venues including

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

, the

Waldorf-Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Street (Manhattan), 50th Streets, is a 47-story ...

, and the

Hotel Astor Hotel Astor was a hotel on Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Built in 1905 and expanded in 1909–1910 for the Astor family, the hotel occupied a site bounded by Broadway, Shubert Alley, and 4 ...

, the Varsity Show has been permanently based on campus since 1944. Notable past shows include '' Fly With Me'' (1920), ''The'' ''Streets of New York'' (1948), ''The Sky's the Limit'' (1954), and ''Angels at Columbia'' (1994). In particular, ''Streets of New York'', after having been revived three times, opened

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

in 1963 and was awarded a 1964

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

. ''The Mischief Maker'' (1903), written by

Edgar Allan Woolf Edgar Allan Woolf (April 25, 1881 – December 9, 1943) was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-author of the script for the 1939 film ''The Wizard of Oz''. Early years and education Woolf was the son ...

and Cassius Freeborn, premiered at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

in 1906 as ''

Mam'zelle Champagne ''Mam'zelle Champagne'' was a musical revue set in Paris with book by Edgar Allan Woolf, music by Cassius Freeborn, produced by Henry Pincus, which opened June 25, 1906. On opening night at the outdoor Madison Square Garden (1890), Madison Square G ...

''.

History

Founding

The Columbia College Dramatic Club (the "Strollers"), the predecessor to the Varsity Show, was established in 1886 as a way to raise funds for the university's athletic teams. The proceeds of the club's first performance were donated to the university rowing team. Though originally founded as an undergraduate organization, the Strollers soon began admitting members who had already graduated into the cast, in addition to professional actors; it stopped contributing to university athletics around 1890, instead keeping the money it raised for itself, having grown into a semi-professional

theater company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicat ...

with only a tenuous relationship with the college. The issue of funding for athletics had deteriorated to the point where the

Columbia Lions football The Columbia Lions are the college football team representing Columbia University. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Ivy League. Columbia's is the third oldest college football ...

and men's rowing teams had ceased operations in 1892. In response, the undergraduate student body formed the Columbia College Music Society in 1893, which was to perform

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

s entirely written and performed by students. The first show, ''Joan of Arc, or The Monarch, The Maid, The Minister, and The Magician'', written by Guy Wetmore Carryl and Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison, debuted on April 2, 1894. The show was first dubbed the "Varsity Show" in 1900 with the performance of ''The Governor's Vrouw'', written by Henry Sydnor Harrison,

Melville Henry Cane Melville Henry Cane (April 15, 1879 – March 10, 1980) was an American poet and lawyer. He studied at Columbia University, and was the author of the influential book, ''Making a Poem'' (1953). Early life and education As a Columbia Universi ...

, and John Erskine. The lyrics and book of the 1903 Varsity Show, ''The Mischief Maker'', were written by

, and set to music by Cassius Freeborn. It moved to Broadway three years later, with its all-male student cast replaced with traditional casting, under the name ''

''. It was during its premiere at

that architect

Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect and a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms at the turn of the 20th century. White designed many houses ...

, whose firm had designed Columbia's Morningside Heights campus, was shot by

Harry Kendall Thaw Harry Kendall Thaw (February 12, 1871 – February 22, 1947) was the son of American coal and railroad baron William Thaw Sr. Heir to a multimillion-dollar fortune, he is most notable for having murdered the renowned architect Stanford Wh ...

Rodgers, Hammerstein, and Hart

The music for the 1920 Varsity Show, '' Fly With Me'', was written by

and

. Since the book for the play was considered inadequate by the judges, the tunes were adapted to another entry, written by Philip Leavitt and Milton Kroopf. During the editing process, alumnus and judge

, who had first appeared in the Varsity show in the 1915 production, ''On Your Way'', added two of his own songs to the musical, "There's Always Room For One More" and "Weaknesses". This incident marked the first instance of collaboration between Rodgers and Hammerstein, a partnership that would go on to initiate the "golden age" of musical theater in the 20th century. The writing of ''Fly With Me'' was one of the only collaborations between all three men. The next year, Rodgers and Hart co-wrote the Varsity Show again. Rodgers was the first freshman to write any portion of the Varsity Show, and would later cite his participation in the show as his sole reason for choosing to attend Columbia, writing: The three men collaborated again for the 1921 show, ''You'll Never Know'', with Rodgers writing the music, Hart the lyrics, and Hammerstein as "Director of Production". This was the only show where all three men worked together directly.

Later history

The 1948 Varsity Show, '' The Streets of New York'', co-written by Alan Koehler and Joseph Meredith and with music by Richard Chodosh and Phil Springer, was so popular upon its premiere that it was revived three times (1952, 1958, 1961). A version of it opened at the Maidman Playhouse in 1963, and was awarded the 1964

Drama Desk Special Award The Drama Desk Special Award is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements by an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to the theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway or off-o ...

. The Columbia University Bicentennial was celebrated in 1954. That year's Varsity Show saw the return of a number of alumni contributors, including

Roy Webb Royden Denslow Webb (October 3, 1888 – December 10, 1982) was an American film music composer. One of the charter members of ASCAP, Webb has hundreds of film music credits to his name, mainly with RKO Pictures. He is best known for film noir and ...

, Kenneth Webb,

Howard Dietz Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist, best remembered for his songwriting collaboration with Arthur Schwartz. According to historian Stanley Green, Dietz and Schwartz were "most cl ...

Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New ...

, I. A. L. Diamond,

, and Chodosh. It recounted the history of the university since its founding, with scenes such as "The Revolutionary War and Who Won It", "Barnard College is Founded for Good Reasons", and "Football is Banned at Morningside". In 1968, the Varsity Show was cancelled due to the large-scale protests at the university that year, and would not stage another performance until 1978. The next performance, a revival of ''Fly With Me'', was in 1980, the 60th anniversary of the musical. 1982 saw two Varsity Shows: ''College on Broadway'', which stitched together several shows from earlier in the century, and ''Columbia Graffiti'', a low-key, one-hour production that was accompanied by only a piano; due to the success of that year's shows, another production, ''Fear of Scaffolding'', was made the next year, and, combined with ''Columbia Graffiti'', was performed on Dean's Day 1983 before an alumni audience.In response, the Class of 1920, headed by President Arthur Snyder, who had performed in the original production of ''Fly With Me'', donated their class treasury to create a prize fund to support future productions of the Varsity Show, fully reviving the tradition. The Varsity Show's centennial production, ''Angels at Columbia'', in 1994, included performances by several celebrities, including former vice-presidential nominee

Geraldine Ferraro Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's nominee for vice presiden ...

, former New York City Mayor

David Dinkins David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. Dinkins was among the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marine Associa ...

, NBC news anchor

Jane Pauley Margaret Jane Pauley (born October 31, 1950) is an American television host and author, active in news reporting since 1972. She first became widely known as Barbara Walters's successor on the NBC morning show ''Today'', beginning at the age of ...

, and sports journalist

Len Berman Leonard Berman (born June 14, 1947) is an American television sportscaster and journalist who is based in New York City. He is currently hosting the morning show on WOR along with Michael Riedel. Berman is widely known for his television c ...

The pony ballet

From its inception, the Varsity Show had been an all-male production, and always featured

cross-dressing Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...

. The high point of every show was the pony ballet, a type of

kickline A kickline is a show dance figure consisting of a series of dancers who throw their legs synchronised up to eye level in the air, forming a straight line. The challenge in performing a kickline is not only the process of lifting the leg in a coor ...

routine. This often involved athletes, especially football players, who became increasingly involved as the pretense of appearing passingly female was slowly dropped over time. They apparently took their roles very seriously, and, according to football coach John F. Bateman, who was a pony in the ''Fair Enough'' (1939), would practice three hours every day in preparation for their roles. Though Columbia College only started admitting women in 1983,

Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...

had been founded nearly a century earlier in 1889, and

Teachers College Teachers College, Columbia University (TC) is the graduate school of education affiliated with Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, Teachers College has been a part of Columbia University since ...

had been coeducational since its founding in 1887. Women performed in the Varsity Show in the 1936 production, ''Off Your Marx'', and were met with great applause. However, during the 1937 show, ''Some of the People'', undergraduates reportedly shooed the female cast members off stage by pelting them with bananas and pennies. The presence of women in the Varsity Show only returned in 1956, and the show has been coeducational since. The pony ballet was revived in 1988, and has since appeared on and off.

Venues

Since the university had no dedicated performance spaces on campus, the first Varsity Show, ''Joan of Arc'', premiered in 1894 at the theater of the

Manhattan Athletic Club The Manhattan Athletic Club was an athletic club in Manhattan, New York City. The club was founded on November 7, 1877, and legally incorporated on April 1, 1878. Its emblem was a "cherry diamond". It established an athletic cinder ash track at ...

. The planned 1895 show, ''The Buccaneer'', was slated to be performed at the same venue; however, this was objected to by the authors of the show, who complained that the space was too cramped, as well as by its two lead actors. Due to the impasse, the show for that year was cancelled, and was instead performed in 1896. An 1894 plan for the university's new

Morningside Heights Morningside Heights is a neighborhood on the West Side of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west. Morningsi ...

campus proposed the construction of an academic theater at the level of 118th Street; it never materialized. The lack of an adequate performance space on campus continued through the first half of the 20th century, during which the Varsity Show was staged at various venues around the cities, including

, the

, and the

. The university's now-demolished Brander Matthews Theatre was constructed in 1940, and the production permanently moved onto campus in 1944. Later on, the Varsity Show would move into the McMillin Theatre in Dodge Hall, and then Ferris Booth Hall. In 2023, the show was performed in the Roone Arledge Auditorium of

Alfred Lerner Hall Alfred Lerner Hall is the student center or students' union of Columbia University. It is named for Al Lerner, who financed part of its construction. Situated on the university's historic Morningside Heights campus in New York City, the buildi ...

. Prior to 1967, the Varsity Show occasionally went on tours around the country, performing in cities including

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

and

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The 1901 show is recorded to have taken a tour through

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, with its first performance in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

Past Varsity Shows

* 1894: ''Joan of Arc'' * 1896: ''The Buccaneer'' * 1897: ''Cleopatra'' * 1899: ''Varsity Show'' * 1900: ''The Governor's Vrouw'' * 1901: ''The Princess Proud'' * 1902: ''The Vanity Fair'' * 1903: ''

The Mischief Maker ''The Mischief Maker'' is a 1916 American silent film, silent comedy-drama film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring June Caprice, Harry Benham and John Reinhardt (actor), John Reinhardt.Solomon p.236 Cast * June Caprice as Effie Marchand * ...

'' * 1904: ''The Isle of Illusia'' * 1905: ''The Khan of Kathan'' * 1906: ''The Conspirators'' * 1907: ''The Ides of March'' * 1908: ''Mr. King'' * 1909: ''In Newport'' * 1910: ''The King of Hilaria'' * 1911: ''Made in India'' * 1912: ''The Mysterious Miss Apache'' * 1913: ''The Brigands'' * 1914: ''The Merry Lunatic'' * 1915: ''On Your Way'' * 1916: ''The Peace Pirates'' * 1917: ''Home, James'' * 1918: ''Ten for Five'' * 1919: ''Take a Chance'' * 1920: '' Fly with Me'' * 1921: ''You'll Never Know'' * 1922: ''Steppe Around'' * 1923: ''Half Moon Inn'' * 1924: ''Old King's'' * 1925: ''Half Moon Inn'' (revival) * 1926: ''His Majesty, The Queen'' * 1927: ''Betty Behave'' * 1928: ''Zuleika, or the Sultan Insulted'' * 1929: ''Oh, Hector'' * 1930: ''Heigh-ho Pharaoh'' * 1931: ''Great Shakes'' * 1932: ''How Revolting!'' * 1933: ''Home, James'' * 1934: ''Laugh it Off!'' * 1935: ''Flair-Flair: The Idol of Paree'' * 1936: ''Off Your Marx'' * 1937: ''Some of the People'' * 1938: ''You've Got Something There'' * 1939: ''Fair Enough'' * 1940: ''Life Begins in '40'' * 1941: ''Hit the Road'' * 1942: ''Saints Alive'' * 1944: ''On the Double'' * 1945: ''Second the Motion'' * 1946: ''Step Right Up'' * 1947: ''Dead to Rights'' * 1948: '' Streets of New York'' * 1949: ''Mr. Oscar'' * 1950: ''Wait For It'' * 1951: ''Babe in the Woods'' * 1952: ''Streets of New York'' (revival) * 1953: ''Shape of Things'' * 1954: ''Sky's the Limit'' * 1955: ''When in Rome'' * 1956: ''Not Fit to Print'' * 1957: ''The Voice of the Sea'' * 1958: ''Streets of New York'' (revival) * 1959: ''Dig That Treasure'' * 1960: ''A Little Bit Different'' * 1961: ''Streets of New York'' (revival) * 1963: ''Elsinore'' * 1964: ''Il Troubleshootore'' * 1965: ''Destry Rides Again'' * 1966: ''The Bawd's Opera'' * 1967: ''Feathertop'' * 1978: ''The Great Columbia Riot of '78'' * 1980: ''Fly With Me'' (revival) * 1982: ''College on Broadway'' * 1982: ''Columbia Graffiti'' * 1983: ''Fear of Scaffolding'' * 1984: ''The New 'U * 1985: ''Lost in Place'' * 1987: ''From Here to Uncertainty'' * 1988: ''The Bonfire of Humanities'' * 1989: ''Sans Souci, Be Happy'' * 1990: ''Behind the Lion Curtain'' * 1991: ''The Silence of the Lions'' * 1992: ''Columbia U, 10027'' * 1993: ''The Lion Game'' * 1994: ''Angels at Columbia: Centennial Approaches'' * 1995: ''Step Inside'' * 1996: ''Devil in a Light Blue Dress'' * 1997: ''Enlargement and Enhancement: The Scaffolding Years'' * 1998: ''Love is Indefinite'' * 1999: ''Beyond Oedipus: Leaving the Womb'' * 2000: ''Mo' Money, Mo' Problems'' * 2001: ''Sex, Lions, and Videotape'' * 2002: ''The 108th Annual Varsity Show'' * 2003: ''Dial 'D' for Deadline'' * 2004: ''Off-Broadway'' * 2005: ''The Sound of Muses'' * 2006: ''Misery Loves Columbia'' * 2007: ''Insufficient Funds'' * 2008: ''Morningside Hates'' * 2009: ''The Gates of Wrath'' * 2010: ''College Walk of Shame'' * 2011: ''Another Scandal!'' * 2012: ''The Corporate Core'' * 2013: ''The Great Netscape'' * 2014: ''Morningside Nights'' * 2015: ''Almageddon'' * 2016: ''A King's College'' * 2017: ''A Tale of Two Colleges'' * 2018: ''Lights Out on Broadway'' * 2019: ''It’s a Wonderful Strife'' * 2020: ''We Hope This Musical Finds You Well'' * 2021: ''Campus in the Cloud'' * 2022: ''Well Endowed'' * 2023: ''Transfer of Power'' * 2024: ''MAYDAY'' * 2025: ''Morningside Heist''

Notable alumni

The following is a list of people who have written, performed, directed, worked backstage, or otherwise been associated with the show. The year beside each name indicates the year(s) of their involvement; if unknown, listed instead is their degree and year of graduation. Oscar Hammerstein - portrait

* Guy Wetmore Carryl (1894)author and humorist * Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison (1894)architect * Henry Shrady (1896)sculptor, best known for the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial *

(1900)lawyer and poet * William C. deMille (1900)president of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

* John Erskine (1900)pioneer of the

Great Books A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy. What makes a book "classic" is a concern that has occurred to various authors ranging from Italo Calvino to Mark Twain and the related questions of "Why Read the Cl ...

program * Henry Sydnor Harrison (1900)novelist * George Middleton (1901)president of the

Dramatists Guild of America The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market. It was born in 1921 out of the Authors Guild, known then as Authors League of America, formed in 1912. M ...

(1903)co-screenwriter of ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...

'' *

Arthur Garfield Hays Arthur Garfield Hays (December 12, 1881 – December 14, 1954) was an American lawyer and champion of civil liberties issues, best known as a co-founder and general counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union and for participating in notable cas ...

(1903)lawyer, represented the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

at the Scopes Monkey Trial * Frank D. Fackenthal (1904, 1906)acting

president of Columbia University The president of Columbia University is the chief executive of Columbia University in New York City. The position was created in 1754 by the original royal charter for the university, issued by George II, and the power to appoint the president w ...

Roi Cooper Megrue Roi Cooper Megrue (June 12, 1882 – February 27, 1927) was an American playwright, producer, and director active on Broadway from 1914 to 1921. Biography Roi Cooper Megrue was born on June 12, 1882, in New York City, the son of the son of Frank ...

(1904)playwright and author *

Philip Moeller Philip Moeller (26 August 1880 – 26 April 1958) was an American stage producer and director, playwright and screenwriter, born in New York where he helped found the short-lived Washington Square Players and then with Lawrence Langner and Hel ...

(1904)stage producer, director, playwright, and screenwriter *

Ralph Morgan Raphael Kuhner Wuppermann (July 6, 1883 – June 11, 1956), known professionally as Ralph Morgan, was a Hollywood stage and film character actor, and union activist. He was a brother of actor Frank Morgan as well as the father of actress ...

(1904, 1905)actor, first president of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

* Kenneth Webb (1904, 1905, 1906, 1909, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1954)film director * William B. Davidson (1907)actor *

Niles Welch Niles Eugene Welch (July 29, 1888 – November 21, 1976) was an American performer on Broadway, and a leading man in a number of silent and early talking motion pictures from the early 1910s through the 1930s. Early life A native of Hartford, ...

(1908)actor * Dixon Ryan Fox (1909)president of

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

Edward Everett Horton Edward Everett Horton, Jr. (March 18, 1886 – September 29, 1970) was an American character actor and comedian. He had a long career in film, theater, radio, television, and voice work for animated cartoons. Early life Horton was born March 18 ...

(1909)character actor *

(1909, 1915, 1919, 1923, 1954)film score composer, works including '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'', '' Notorious'', and '' Marty'' *

(1915, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1921)lyricist *

(1916, 1920, 1921)lyricist of "

My Funny Valentine "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart coming of age musical ''Babes in Arms'' in which it was introduced by teenaged star Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed ...

", "

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered "Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered)" is a show tune and popular song from the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical '' Pal Joey''. It is part of the Great American Songbook. The song was introduced by Vivienne Segal on December 25, 1940, in the Broa ...

" and other Broadway standards *

Herman Mankiewicz Herman Jacob Mankiewicz ( ; November 7, 1897 – March 5, 1953) was an American screenwriter who, with Orson Welles, wrote the screenplay for '' Citizen Kane'' (1941). Both Mankiewicz and Welles went on to receive the Academy Award for Best O ...

(1916)co-writer of ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

'' *

(1917, 1954)lyricist for '' Dancing in the Dark'' and head of publicity for

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, who created

Leo the Lion Leo the Lion may refer to: Film and television * Leo the Lion (MGM), the mascot of the Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer * ''Leo the Lion'' (2005 film), an Italian animated film * ''Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle'', a 1994 Japanese anima ...

(1920, 1921)songwriter *

Corey Ford Corey Ford (April 29, 1902 – July 27, 1969) was an American humorist, writer, outdoorsman, and screenwriter. He was friendly with several members of the Algonquin Round Table in New York City and occasionally lunched there. Early years Ford wa ...

(1923)humorist who named Eustace Tilley, the mascot of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' magazine *

Albert Maltz Albert Maltz (; October 28, 1908 – April 26, 1985) was an American playwright, fiction writer and screenwriter. He was one of the Hollywood Ten who were jailed in 1950 for their 1947 refusal to testify before the US Congress about their involv ...

(1927)one of the

Hollywood Ten The Hollywood blacklist was the mid-20th century banning of suspected Communists from working in the United States entertainment industry. The blacklisting, blacklist began at the onset of the Cold War and Red Scare#Second Red Scare (1947–1957 ...

and screenwriter for '' Destination Tokyo'' *

Jacques Barzun Jacques Martin Barzun (; November 30, 1907 – October 25, 2012) was a French-born American historian known for his studies of the history of ideas and cultural history. He wrote about a wide range of subjects, including baseball, mystery novels, ...

(1928)cultural historian * Arnold M. Auerbach (1932)comedy writer *

William Ludwig William Ludwig may refer to: * William Ludwig (screenwriter) * William Ludwig (baritone) * William F. Ludwig, Sr., American percussionist and founder of Ludwig Drums {{hndis, Ludwig, William ...

(1932)screenwriter for ''

The Great Caruso ''The Great Caruso'' is a 1951 biographical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Mario Lanza as famous operatic tenor Enrico Caruso. The movie was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Joe Pasternak with Jesse L. Lasky as ass ...

'' and

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

co-winner for ''

Interrupted Melody ''Interrupted Melody'' is a 1955 American musical biopic film about the opera singer Marjorie Lawrence starring Eleanor Parker, Glenn Ford, Roger Moore, and Cecil Kellaway. Directed by Curtis Bernhardt, it was filmed in CinemaScope and Eastman ...

'' *

(1933, 1934, 1954)

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

-winning author of ''

The Caine Mutiny ''The Caine Mutiny'' is a 1951 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard two destroyer-minesweepers in the Pacific Theater in World War II. Among its themes, it deals with the mo ...

'' * John La Touche (1935)lyricist for '' Cabin in the Sky'' and '' The Golden Apple'' *

Martin Manulis Martin Ellyot Manulis (May 30, 1915 – September 28, 2007) was an American television, film, and theatre producer. Manulis was best known for his work in the 1950s producing the CBS Television programs ''Suspense'', '' Studio One Summer Theatre ...

(1935)television producer and creator of ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'' *

Carl Emil Schorske Carl Emil Schorske (March 15, 1915 – September 13, 2015), known professionally as Carl E. Schorske, was an American cultural historian and professor at Princeton University. In 1981 he won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for his book ...

(1936)historian'''' *

Robert Lax Robert Lax (November 30, 1915 – September 26, 2000) was an American poet, known in particular for his association with Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton. Another friend of his youth was the painter Ad Reinhardt. After a long period of dri ...

(1938)minimalist poet * John F. Bateman (1939)football player and coach'''' *

Sid Luckman Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his 12 seasons with the Bears, he led t ...

(1939)

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

quarterback'''' * I.A.L. Diamond (1938, 1939, 1940, 1941)Oscar-winning screenwriter; co-writer of ''

The Apartment ''The Apartment'' is a 1960 American romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond. It stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray, with Ray Walston and Edie ...

'' and ''

The Fortune Cookie ''The Fortune Cookie'' (alternative United Kingdom, British title: ''Meet Whiplash Willie'') is a 1966 American black comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It is the first film in which Jack Lemmon collaborated with Wal ...

'' *

Gerald Green Gerald Green (born January 26, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 18th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Known for his dunking skill, he has performed well in many slam du ...

(1942)writer of ''

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

'' *

Sorrell Booke Sorrell Booke (January 4, 1930 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He acted in more than 100 plays and 150 television shows, and is best known for his role as corrupt politician Jefferson ...

(1947)actor, known for playing

Boss Hogg Jefferson Davis Hogg, known as Boss Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series ''The Dukes of Hazzard''. He was the commissioner of Hazzard County, and the county's political boss and the main antagonist of the sho ...

in ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...

'' * Edward N. Costikyan (1947)political advisor *

Dick Hyman Richard Hyman (born March 8, 1927) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Over a 70-year career, he has worked as a pianist, organist, arranger, music director, electronic musician, and composer. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts ...

(1947)

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

-winning composer *

Ernest Kinoy Ernest Kinoy (April 1, 1925 – November 10, 2014) was an American writer, screenwriter and playwright. Early life Kinoy was born in New York City on April 1, 1925; his parents, Albert and Sarah Kinoy (formerly Forstadt), were both high-school ...

(1947)screenwriter * Philip Springer (1948, 1950)American composer who wrote the Christmas song,

Santa Baby "Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attemp ...

Henry Littlefield Henry M. Littlefield (June 12, 1933 – March 30, 2000) was an American educator, author and historian most notable for his claim that L. Frank Baum's ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' was a political satire, founding a long tradition of political i ...

(1954)author and historian *

(1954)composer and film producer * Michael Kahn (1960)theater director, artistic director for the

Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a Regional theater in the United States, regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the William Shakespeare, Shakespeare canon, but its seasons inc ...

* Edward Kleban (1960)lyricist for ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...

'' *

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," M ...

(1960)

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

-winning playwright *

Michael Feingold Michael E. Feingold (May 5, 1945 – November 21, 2022) was an American critic, translator, lyricist, playwright and dramaturg. He was the lead theater critic of ''The Village Voice'' from 1982 to 2013, for which he was twice named a Pulitzer Pri ...

(1966)theater critic and playwright *

Jon Bauman Jon "Bowzer" Bauman (born September 14, 1947) is an American singer, best known as a member of the band Sha Na Na, and game show host. Bauman's Sha Na Na character Bowzer was a greaser in a muscle shirt. Biography and career Bauman was bo ...

(1966, 1967)singer, member of

Sha Na Na Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll and doo-wop revival group formed in 1969. The group performed a song-and-dance repertoire based on 1950s hit songs that both revived and parodied the music and the New York City street culture of the 1 ...

Alexa Junge Alexa Junge is an American television writer, producer and screenwriter. Her work on ''Friends'', from 1994 to 1999, earned her nominations for three Emmy Awards. Personal life Junge grew up in Los Angeles and attended Barnard College, where she ...

(1984, 1985)writer and producer of ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

'' and ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...

'' *

David Rakoff David Benjamin Rakoff (November 27, 1964 – August 9, 2012) was a Canadian-born American writer of prose and poetry based in New York City, who wrote humorous and sometimes autobiographical non-fiction essays. Rakoff was an essayist, journ ...

(1984)comedic essayist *

Jeanine Tesori Jeanine Tesori, known earlier in her career as Jeanine Levenson, (born November 10, 1961) is an American composer and Arrangement, musical arranger best known for her work in the theater. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical com ...

(1984, 1985)composer and musical arranger *

Alex Kuczynski Alexandra Louise Kuczynski (born December 6, 1970) is a Peruvian American reporter, who has written for the ''New York Times'' and the ''New York Times Magazine'', and is the author of the award-winning 2006 book ''Beauty Junkies'' about the cosm ...

(1990)styles reporter for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' *

Eric Garcetti Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the List of ambassadors of the United States to India, United States ambassador to India from 2023 to 2025. He was the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles f ...

(BA 1992)42nd

mayor of Los Angeles The mayor of Los Angeles is the head of the executive branch of the government of Los Angeles and the chief executive of Los Angeles. The office is officially Non-partisan democracy, nonpartisan, a change made in the 1909 charter; previously, ...

; wrote the show for two years *

(1994, guest performance)sports journalist *

(1994, guest performance)106th

mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...

(1994, guest performance)congresswoman and former vice-presidential nominee * Tom Kitt (1994)Tony Award-winning composer of ''

Next To Normal ''Next to Normal'' is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing her illness has on her fam ...

'' *

Brian Yorkey Brian Yorkey is an American playwright and lyricist. His works often explore dark and controversial subject matter such as mental illness, grief, the underbelly of suburbia, and ethics in both psychiatry and public education. Early life Yorkey ...

(1994)playwright and lyricist'''' *

(1994, guest performance)NBC news anchor * Will Graham (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)co-creator of

Onion News Network ''Onion News Network'' is a parody television news show produced by ''The Onion'' that originated as a YouTube video series in 2007 and was further developed into a 22 minute television program in 2011, with two seasons of ten episodes aired on ...

and

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

winner * Donna Vivino (1999)actress in ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * ''Wicked'' (Maguire novel), a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', a 1997 novel series collaboration between Australian children's authors Paul Jennings and Morris ...

'' *

Lang Fisher Lang Fisher (born January 29, 1980) is an American comedy writer and director. She co-created and executive produced the Netflix coming-of-age comedy-drama series, ''Never Have I Ever''. Career Fisher graduated from Fountain Valley School of C ...

(2000, 2001, 2002)co-creator of ''Never Have I Ever'' and

winner *

Susanna Fogel Susanna Fogel is an American director, screenwriter and author, best known for co-writing the 2019 film ''Booksmart'' and for co-writing and directing the 2018 action/comedy ''The Spy Who Dumped Me''. Her many accolades include a DGA Award and nom ...

(2001)

Directors Guild of America Awards The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...

-winning director *

Brandon Victor Dixon Brandon Victor Dixon (born September 23, 1981) is an American actor, singer and theatrical producer. As a musical theatre actor, he is known for Tony Award-nominated Broadway performances as Harpo in the 2005 musical '' The Color Purple'', Eubi ...

(2002)Tony Award-winning and Emmy-nominated actor *

Gabe Liedman Gabe Liedman is an American stand-up comedian, television writer, producer, and actor, known for his work on ''PEN15'', ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', and '' Inside Amy Schumer''. He is the showrunner of Netflix animation series ''Q-Force'' and the firs ...

(2002)comedian, creator of ''

Q-Force ''Q-Force'' is an American adult animated comedy television series created by Gabe Liedman for Netflix. In April 2019, Netflix ordered 10 episodes of the series, with Liedman as a showrunner, along with Sean Hayes, Michael Schur, Todd Milline ...

'' * Kelly McCreary (2002)actress on ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

'' *

Robby Mook Robert E. Mook (; born December 3, 1979) is an American former political strategist. He was the campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Mook worked on state campaigns and on Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign. ...

(2002)campaign manager for

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

2016 presidential campaign This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...

Tze Chun Tze Chun (born Tze-ngo Chun ) is an Cinema of the United States, American film and TV producer, director, writer, painter, and comic book publisher. He was born in Chicago and raised outside of Boston, and graduated from Milton Academy in 1998. ...

(2003)director *

Peter Koechley Peter Lennon Koechley is an American writer and internet entrepreneur. He was the managing editor of '' The Onion'' and co-founded Upworthy. Biography Koechley attended Madison West High School and graduated from Columbia University in 2003 w ...

(2003)co-founder of ''

Upworthy Upworthy is a media brand that focuses on positive storytelling. It was started in March 2012 by Eli Pariser, the former executive director of MoveOn, and Peter Koechley, the former managing editor of '' The Onion''. One of Facebook's co-found ...

'' and former managing editor of ''

The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is currently based in Chicago, but originated as a weekly print publication ...

'' *

(2003, 2004, 2005)actress on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' and ''

The Big Gay Sketch Show ''The Big Gay Sketch Show'' is an LGBT-themed sketch comedy program that debuted on Logo on April 24, 2007. The series was produced by Rosie O'Donnell and directed by Amanda Bearse. The program was originally titled ''The Big Gay Show,'' but ...

'' *

Raamla Mohamed Raamla Mohamed is an American television writer known for her work on ''Little Fires Everywhere'' and ''Scandal''. She is the creator and showrunner of the Hulu legal drama ''Reasonable Doubt.'' Biography Mohamed was born and raised in Los A ...

(2003)television writer'''' *

Jenny Slate Jenny Slate (born March 25, 1982) is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer. After early acting and stand-up roles on television, Slate gained recognition for her live variety shows in New York City and for co-creating the children's ...

(2003)cast member, ''

'' *

(2004, 2005)

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

and Oscar-nominated director

In popular culture

The 1920 F. Scott Fitzgerald short story " Head and Shoulders" depicts a performance of the 1917 Varsity Show, ''Home, James'', written by Hammerstein and Herman Axelrod, in which the character Marcia Meadows is an actress. In the story, the play is turned into a fully professional production. Though the scene takes place at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Fitzgerald may have actually watched the show at the Hotel Astor as a student at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. The Columbia Varsity Show is satirized in the 1937 film ''Varsity Show''. In the 1955

novel Marjorie Morningstar, the character Wally Wronken, an aspiring playwright, writes a Varsity Show, which is accepted by the judges and premieres at the Waldorf. The fourth season of ''Dear White People'', set at the fictional

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...

Winchester University, centers around the staging of the university's annual Varsity Show, which is based on the Columbia tradition.

References

External links

*
Sing a Song of Morningside
, an official history of the show by Thomas Vinciguerra
The Varsity Show
{{Columbia University Recurring events established in 1894 1894 establishments in New York (state)