March/April 2011
Around the Quads
Web Exhibit Celebrates The Varsity Show
T
he Columbia University Archives has created an
online exhibit celebrating the history of The Varsity Show. The site is an expansion of a physical
exhibit — The
Varsity Show: A Columbia Tradition — that was mounted
by the University Archives in 
2004 in honor of The Varsity Show’s 110th anniversary
and includes images of programs, posters, photographs and other printed matter
that help relate the history and highlights of what is recognized as Columbia’s
oldest performing arts tradition.
The student-run comedy, which
premiered in 1894 as a show to benefit the Columbia College Athletic Union, has
left its mark on the Columbia 
community and has included a number of alumni who
went on to success in the entertainment industry. For example, Roar, Lion, Roar originated in the 1923 show, Half Moon Inn, and famous Varsity Show alumni include Oscar Hammerstein II
’16, Lorenz Hart
’18, Richard Rodgers ’23, Herman Wouk ’34 and I.A.L. Diamond ’41, who
wrote four consecutive shows.
The 117th Varsity Show will take place in April. Tickets will be available at thevarsityshow.com.
Atti Viragh ’12 GS