Keenan Hall hosts 47th annual Revue show

By KATHRYN MUCHNICK Associate news editor

“I think that we are going to find ways to disappoint our parents that nobody thought was even possible.”

That is how s ammy Kacius, a senior in Keenan h all, describes the 47th annual Keenan r evue.

Kacius is the director of the r evue, which will kick off Thursday in the s tepan c enter and run until s aturday. The r evue is Keenan h all’s signature event, and this year, the theme is “ h igh s chool r evuesical.”

“It just felt like the theme to do,” Kacius said of the “ h igh s chool r evuesical” decision. “You get all the character tropes that you can put in there, you get the music — everything about it is just so revue-able.” b obby n ichols, the rector of Keenan h all, said the theme decision isn’t just about what is funniest.

The decision process for the theme begins in the fall semester, when the r evue staff posts pieces of paper around the dorm for Keenan residents to write ideas on. The staff then selects the final theme from the crowdsourced list.

“The theme doesn’t necessarily matter [in the show] beyond the theme skit,” n ichols explained. “What really matters is: h ow do we market it? What’s the logo going to look like?” n ick s lusher is one of two executive producers for the show, and he said his role is slightly different from the directors.

After the theme is decided, the rector, director and executive producers finalize music and host skit try-outs. Any member of Keenan h all can write a skit and pitch it to the r evue staff. After skit callbacks, the script is finalized and each role is cast.

“The director is very much in charge of the show itself — the comedy, the way the skits are laid out, the blocking, all that good stuff,” s lusher said. “The producers are more in charge of the logistics — behind the scenes stuff to make sure that the show is running smoothly.”

Tickets for the show were distributed last m onday in d ahnke ballroom. Alumni entirely cover the cost of the show, so students were given tickets for free — with a limit of 2 tickets per student I d

“We are expecting about 1,600 people a night,” s lusher said. The r evue staff reserves seating for

Keenan residents and v IP audience members — alumni and families of performers — before distributing the remaining tickets to students.

Instead of charging for tickets, Keenan collects donations for d ismas h ouse, a local nonprofit that provides transitional housing for people recently released from incarceration. n ichols said a group of five to eight Keenan residents volunteer at d ismas h ouse every m onday, and members of d ismas h ouse will be at the r evue to introduce themselves.

“We really want to see them as an integrated part,” n ichols said. “ o ur hope is that, whatever money that you thought was going to be spent on a ticket, donate that to d ismas h ouse.”

The r evue moved into the s tepan c enter on m onday for tech week. r ehearsals run from 5 to 11 p.m. every day until opening night last night.

“Tech week is a magical, weird, somewhat tiring time,” said b eri Tangka, the other executive producer. “I think it’s just finally seeing what happens when all of these parts come together.” n ichols said that although he helps to choose the directors, producers and how to navigate s A o , the r evue is run almost entirely by the students.

“ m y role is, I think, just to accompany the guys,” n ichols said. “I really will defer to s ammy, b erry and n ick — as directors and producers — to make the decisions.” n ichols takes the script to various campus organizations, including r esidential Life, s A o , Prism nd , d iversity c ouncil and m ulticultural s tudent Programs and s ervices ( ms P s ), to make sure that none of the jokes cross a line.

“ o ur goal really for all of the skits and the process is that … we make a show that’s welcoming and inclusive to all,” n ichols said. “We won’t hold back on jokes, but … we don’t want anybody to feel slighted or upset.” m usic director m ike h anisch said the r evue makes every resident of

The vast majority of Keenan residents are involved in the r evue, according to n ichols. The r evue staff note that it is central to Keenan culture.

“I’ve never seen another event at n otre d ame that gets people as immediately into it as the r evue,” Kacius said.

Keenan feel like they are essential to the dorm.

“The r evue is a great place to just all have a common goal, bring what you have to the table and really feel like collectively, you’ve created something — which just makes you feel so much closer to everyone involved,” he said.

The music team has been rehearsing every s aturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. this semester. h anisch said he is excited for the n otre d ame community to see the “depth of talent” in the band this year.

“We have a couple of freshmen on guitar who are going to blow people away, I think, especially alumni coming back,” h anisch added.

Tangka said that this year’s r evue will be another step back to “normal” after the show was hosted in the stadium in 2021. As of now, he’s looking to the future of the r evue.

“I really like the place that the r evue has in the culture of the tri-campus community and what we can do to sort of comment on things and suggest new, fresh ideas and just make everything a little bit sillier,” he said.

Contact Kathryn Muchnick kmuchnick@nd.edu