As college traditions go, The Varsity Show has a particularly wide-reaching history. Since its conception, the student-written musical has attracted the talents of many a big name in show business (I’ll leave it to you to Google which ones). Adaunting legacy, certainly, for those of us trying to bring it new life after more than 120 years of productions, but an exciting opportunity, nonetheless.
I was thrilled to be chosen as a cast member for the 124th Annual Varsity Show during my first year at Columbia. Coming in the aftermath of the 2016 election, our show told the story of a campus election plagued by legacy, wealth, and a convenient campus blackout. I had the pleasure of playing Zach, a first-year student struggling to balance his loyalty to a friend’s misguided campaign with a star-crossed love interest in the dining hall pasta line.
"The respective chemistries between the battling foes Joers and Wise or bashful romantics Leah (Sophia Houdaigui, BC ’21) and Zach (Joel Meyers, CC ’21), their relationship compared to that of Romeo and Juliet, or jokingly Columbia students and solid mental health, were vibrantly accentuated by their dual charisma and expressive enthusiasm"