Book by Amelia Arnold & Mark Lerner

The 123rd Annual Varsity Show: A Tale of Two Colleges (2017)

With graduation looming, Columbia College senior Liv has one huge regret: that she didn’t attend Barnard. Her best friend, Zoe, president of SGA, entertains Liv’s dream of being a “Barnard bear,” but no matter how many Midnight Breakfasts she attended, no matter how few people listen to her WBAR show, she never felt she truly belonged.

Meanwhile, as Debora Spar prepares to leave for Lincoln Center, she realizes building the new library has dried Barnard completely of its funds. A horrifying ultimatum arises: President Spar must either close the school or sell it to Columbia.

Spar decides to sell the school in the hope that Barnard can recover one day. She stays on to help Interim President Robert Goldberg with the transition, but it proves to be more of a curse than a blessing. Barnard students, including Zoe, now stripped of her position, are furious. However, Liv is ecstatic—finally, she can be a Barnard student. This causes a rift between Zoe and Liv, and their friendship is on the line.

Liv, Zoe, and internship-crazed CC class rep Gavin butt heads, all the while trying to save Barnard and reverse the merger. But can they do it?

West End Preview

The West End Preview is an annual, thirty-minute showcase of that year's Varsity Show, with any plot details removed. Enjoy the music, dancing, and comedic stylings of the 123rd Annual Varsity Show's cast and creative team!