Waa-Mu
Part of Speech
Noun
Pronunciation
[‘wah / ‘myoo]
Description
Often referred to as simply "Waa," The Waa-Mu Show is a non-profit 501 organization within Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, that produces student written, orchestrated, produced, and performed original musical theatre work every year. The song lyrics, script, and music are developed in a series of classes. Sometimes abbreviated to "Waa" when referring to something about the show.
Why It's Wild
Waa-Mu is Northwestern's oldest undergraduate theatre tradition. It began in 1929 when the Women’s Athletic Association (W.A.A.) worked with the Men’s Union (M.U.) to perform student-written material. The show was traditionally a musical revue of Northwestern-inspired vignettes tied together by a theme, which eventually evolved into full-length musical. Today over 150 students participate every year as producers, writers, and performers in the creation of an original musical. It is performed in Cahn Auditorium in late April or early May. Past famous cast members include Warren Beatty and Garry Marshall in the 1950s; Ann-Margret in the 1960s; Megan Mullally in the 1980s; and Zach Braff, Brian d'Arcy James, and Heather Headley in the 1990s. [1] [2] The theatre speech community most commonly uses Waa-Mu, both written and spoken in informal social contexts on campus.
Past Shows (since 2010)
| Year | Name |
| 2021 | The Secret of Camp Elliott |
| 2020 | State of the Art |
| 2019 | For the Record |
| 2018 | Manhattan Miracle |
| 2017 | Beyond Belief: A Superhero Story |
| 2016 | Another Way West |
| 2015 | Gold |
| 2014 | Double Feature at Hollywood and Vine |
| 2013 | Flying Home |
| 2012 | Off the Map |
| 2011 | What's Next |
| 2010 | Keeping Time |
Example Sentence
I can't get dinner with you tonight, I have rehearsal for Waa-Mu.
