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EVANSTON, Ill. --- The following timeline highlights the historical moments of Northwestern University’s student musical revue -- the Waa-Mu Show. The 2006 Waa-Mu Show “Jubilee!” (April 28 to May 7) at Cahn Auditorium will be the 75th edition.
1929 “Good Morning Glory,” the first Waa-Mu Show, presented by the Women's Athletic Association (W.A.A.) and the Men's Union (M.U.); the brainchild of Phi Theta Delta members Darrell Ware and Joe Miller and directed by Miller
1935 “Good News,” the first Broadway musical produced by Waa-Mu instead of an original show
1936 For the first time Waa-Mu abandons the book musical in favor of a revue format
1937 Renowned critic Walter Kerr supplies book and lyrics for “Don’t Look Now!”
1938 Waa-Mu produces its second Broadway musical, “Of Thee I Sing,” with chorus member Tony Randall
1939 Lloyd Norlin writes his first songs for Waa-Mu
1941 “Wait A Minute!” is the first show performed in the new Cahn Auditorium; Lloyd Norlin's "Out of Silence" appears in film "All American Coed" and is nominated for Best Song of the Year at the Academy Awards
1943-45 Waa-Mu suspends performances during World War II years
1946 “Here We Go Again” features Cloris Leachman
1947 “Break The News” features Charlotte Rae and Paul Lynde
1949 “What’s The Rush?” features Claude Akins
1950 “Look Who’s Talking” features songs by lyricist/composer Sheldon Harnick
1951 “That Reminds Me” premieres two hit songs. "Back in the Old Routine" by Wilson Stone, later recorded by Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor; Lloyd Norlin's much loved "To the Memories." McLean Stevenson plays an Army captain and a naval commander in the show.
1953 “Reach For The Sky” features Inga Swenson
1954 “Sea Here!” features Broadway playwright George Furth
1956 Warren Beatty appears in skit "Wigwam Wooing of Wigawama" in “Silver Jubilee”
1957 “Caught In The Act” features Nancy Dussault, Ron Husmann and Penny Fuller
1958 “Sing No Evil” features the music of Broadway composer Larry Grossman
1960 Ann-Margret dances in the ensemble of “Among Friends”
1961 “Don’t Make A Scene” features Tony Roberts and Karen Black
1964 “Something In The Wind” features material and performance by Tony Award-winning director and Northwestern faculty member Frank Galati who was then a student
1969 “Present Tense” features Shelley Long
1976 “That’s The Spirit!” Tom Roland becomes second director of the Waa-Mu Show
1977 “Wild Onions” features Gregg Edelman
1981 “To The Memories,” the 50th Anniversary show, brings back famous alumni as special guests
1987 “With A Twist” features Brian d'Arcy James
1993 Waa-Mu produces its third Broadway musical, “On The Town”
1994 “Lost And Found” features Tony Award-winning Heather Headley; Dominic Missimi becomes third director of the Waa-Mu Show; and conductor John Paynter, a 46-year veteran of Waa-Mu, conducts his last show
1999 “New York, NU York” features Miss America 1998 Kate Shindle, Waa-Mu Co-Chair; second act of Waa-Mu is tribute to Waa-Mu alumni who have starred in Broadway productions
2001 “Sorry, We’re Booked” celebrates 50th Anniversary of "To the Memories" and mourns the passing of Lloyd Norlin; 70th Anniversary of Waa-Mu
2006 “Jubilee!” celebrates 75th production in Waa-Mu history