To catch a sneak peek of the 115th Annual Varsity Show, you’ll have to head to Havana—but the cast won’t be singing and dancing under the tropical sun. Instead, they’re heading to Havana Central, where Friday, they will take over the back room to perform their annual West End Preview.
The West End Preview, named after the restaurant and bar that formerly stood in Havana Central’s place, is open to the public. The producers expect 300 people to attend. The preview consists of about three songs and three scenes selected from the full production of the Varsity Show. Co-producer Becca Lewis, CC ’11, explained that the pieces were chosen based on which songs and scenes were finished first, as long as they could be performed without “revealing the climax” of the show. The complete Varsity Show will premiere in early May.
The West End Preview is not the first available glimpse of the 115th Varsity Show—the cast performed “Satan Is Coming to Town,” a song about the purported campus exorcisms, at the Columbia University Performing Arts League showcase earlier this month. But the West End preview is the first purely devoted to the much-anticipated campus tradition.
“It’s a chance for them [the public] to get a taste,” co-producer Darcy Zacharias, CC ’10, said. But, as Lewis added, the West End Preview also generates feedback that can help improve the show over the course of the rehearsal process. While there is a larger preview open only to Varsity Show alumni called “Turkey Day” in early March, the West End Preview allows the producers to hear praise and criticism from the general public and student body.
Also, while expectations for the Varsity Show are high every year, the 115th cast is under an even greater degree of pressure, as most members are first-years and sophomores who are new to the production. Furthermore, every member of the crew and creative team holds a position they have never held before.
Still, Zacharias and Lewis are hopeful that V115 will live up to the lofty standards of the Columbia community. “It’s nice to have fresh new talent,” Zacharias said. Lewis added that this year’s group will create a show that is “uniquely 115.”
The exact definition of “uniquely 115” is yet to be determined—Zacharias and Lewis refrained from divulging any details relating to the theme or plot of the 115th Varsity Show. But they did admit to circulating a bit of false publicity: “We are spreading rumors that may or may not involve underwater life,” Zacharias said.
Allegations of jellyfish aside, the West End Preview will likely do little to uncover the mystery that almost always surrounds the Varsity Show until its opening night—the production thrives on the guesswork of those on the outside as they try to piece together the clues provided by various preview performances.
Graham Johnson, SEAS ’11, enjoys the hype and intrigue the West End Preview brings to the table. “It [the preview] is cohesive, but it’s not confusing,” he said. “It puts the Varsity Show out there ... and it’s just a lot of fun.”
For anyone who wants to know the scoop on the 115th Varsity Show, the West End Preview might be a good starting point to let the detective work begin.
The West End Preview will be performed Friday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. at Havana Central (Broadway between 113th and 114th streets). Admission is $3 at the door.
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