This 12-song medley took viewers through 11 different musicals, filling the space with an energy and excitement that audiences are sure to remember.

On Friday, April 3rd, the Columbia Musical Theatre Society (CMTS) put on two evening performances of their showcase, opening up the show to students, family, friends, and community members. The Black Box Theatre was a perfectly intimate environment for the immersive experience, as the viewing area consisted of seats facing the performers, as well as on the left and right of the theatre’s performing area, forming a thrust stage. This allowed audience members to not only feel physically closer to the performers but also to more thoroughly engage in the experience. Many in the crowd made eye contact with cast members during their monologues and ballads, laughed alongside them, and swayed along to the dance numbers.

The showcase’s opening song, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” from Sweeney Todd, directed and music directed by Molly Hahn (SEAS ‘27), was lively and exciting with a big cast. The singers overlapped their verses in a way that added much depth to the ballad, and their simultaneous acting was hilarious, despite the morbid material. Notably, viewers even laughed loudly as one performer sliced another’s throat with scissors and fell to the floor dramatically! This number, along with “Johanna” from the same musical and directed by Hannah Xue (CC ‘29) and music directed by Lucas Keeley (CC ‘29), was an unforgettable highlight of the night because of the actors’ playful execution of the dark but satirical subject matter.

The medley was not only comical, but featured other performances that elicited a more weighted reaction. Mia Shih’s (BC ‘26) vision for “One Day More” took the empowering song from Les Misérables that centred on the French Revolution and extended this to present-day social issues. During the song’s closing chorus, all cast members for this number held up signs that drew attention to relevant social movements or issues. One of these said “Land Back,” acknowledging Indigenous efforts to gain sovereignty and self-determination over colonised land. I found the intentional decision to bring this issue into the spotlight remarkably powerful, adding a refreshing take to the original song.

Though I resonated deeply with the more emotional numbers of “One Day More,” “Everything Changes,” and “You Will Be Found,” I found that alternating the types of songs was refreshing and helpful for keeping audiences engaged. Another memorable number that elicited whooping laughter and thrilled exclamations from the crowd was “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago, also directed by Mia Shih. Cast members danced in all-black outfits amidst red lighting, spinning and kicking in a jazz fashion. It was a classic, but entertaining configuration of the number, featuring the iconic chairs that performers dance on and move around the stage. The amusing monologues from each performer detailed why they were accused of murdering a past partner of theirs, stating afterwards, “I betcha you would’ve done the same!”

With our energy on high throughout the nonstop performances, the CMTS Board ended the show by gathering audience participation in a sing-along. Each program handed to guests had the lyrics to “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, featured in the musical Mamma Mia!. We were all encouraged to get on our feet, put our hands in the air, and join in this exciting celebration of a show well done.

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