USA Today defines “pretty girl humor” as “conventionally attractive women who attempt to seem quirky or relatable by subverting typically feminine behavior.” Examples of pretty girl humor include an infatuation with the name “Bob,” calling popular and mainstream things “nerdy” and an obsession with outdated memes.

The trend gained traction over Halloween when many women opted for masculine and humorous costumes, such as The Lorax or Hamilton.

[Guillermo del Toro gives new life to ‘Frankenstein’ in latest adaptation]

In response to these comedic attempts, people online expressed gratitude that they grew up weird instead of “pretty” and without a sense of humor. The general consensus seems to be that unattractive people learn to compensate for their looks through humor and pretty people never have to.

This is not a new phenomenon — women online are often dissed for attempts at being relatable. The term “quirky” has held a negative connotation for some time. “Pretty girl humor” calls to mind the mustache-loving millennials of the early 2010s, an all but extinct group that overlaps heavily with the often derided “manic pixie dream girl” concept.

But this trend calls to mind an imperative question —  why are people actually doing this? Seriously.

In an era of fast-paced, gluttonous media consumption, we can all benefit from slowing down and fully unpacking the trends we consume. Why are people using the label “pretty girl humor” to, in essence, make fun of strangers online?

Some viewers may consider this trend a way of “punching up” or resisting the persistent influence of attractive people in our society. Conventionally pretty girls such as Sydney Sweeney seem to gain power from their appearances. Based on this, those with “pretty girl humor” are seen as deserving of the criticism by virtue of their privilege.

Others claim those with “pretty girl humor” are the same type of people who would bully them as children, so criticism of their unfunniness is morally justified.

This form of rationalization is common online: bullying is okay as long as they really deserve it. Bad people are always fair game.

At the same time, some people argue the phrase is an extension of society’s constant criticism of women. Halloween costumes of corsets and stockings are lampooned as provocative and attention-seeking, but self-effacing Lorax staches are cringey and trying too hard to be different. There is no correct way to be.

The real underlying issue with the “pretty people humor” concept goes deeper than everyday internet misogyny. It speaks to the current wave of bullying online that has made social media a hostile landscape.

Why are these people being made fun of? Because their cringiness shows privilege? Because they weren’t teased growing up? The anonymity of online spaces makes these reasons feel more valid than they are. In reality, a person’s unfunniness is not an adequate cause for bullying.

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Disrespecting strangers is far too normalized on social media. We disregard it and accept that putting oneself online means consenting to hate comments. But trends like these ask us to forget our empathy in favor of a cheap laugh. The more we participate, the more humanity we lose.

No matter what “pretty people” may represent in the grand scheme of our superficial society, we all need to remember that they are people first. Even when they are sporting orange jumpsuits and bushy yellow mustaches, they are people.

And so are we.

Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited movie stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the Creature and Mia Goth as Elizabeth. Set in early to mid-19th century Europe, Frankenstein follows the tale of obsessed scientist Victor Frankenstein’s journey to create life from the dead. 

The main story is told primarily through flashbacks and while his unkillable Creature hunts for him, Victor finds refuge with Captain Anderson, an explorer in the Arctic searching for the North Pole, and begins to share his life story. As a child, the tragic death of Victor’s mother led him to study death, life and reanimation. Much later, the scientist meets Herr Harlander, a wealthy and mysterious man who offers to fund his experiments. 

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But in Victor’s obsessive attempts to create life, he causes more death. His story of ego, violence and love forces the audience to grapple with an integral question —  in this iconic tale of monster versus man, who is really the monster?

Frankenstein is quintessential del Toro. His signature gothic visuals translate the story’s themes beautifully onto film. Dark and cool-toned cityscapes are contrasted against blood red accents in Victor’s clothing and the actual blood in his workshop.

The color red is a recurring motif throughout the film . Frankenstein’s gloves are red, foreshadowing the future blood on his hands. His forbidden love, Elizabeth, wears a bright red cross necklace in reference to her tragic fate.

Be warned: this movie is unapologetically gory. Before the Creature is formed, Frankenstein’s anatomical experiments are on full display. Ligaments are exposed, legs sawed off and skinless amalgamations are granted horrifying animation. Where other films may cut away or fade to black, Frankenstein lingers on its horror.

When the monster is brought to life with the iconic lightning bolt, we zoom into the experiment’s lifeless body. In disturbing detail, its grossly realistic heart begins to beat and revitalize the inner organs.

Del Toro’s Frankenstein succeeds where so many others have failed as an adaptation. Fans of the novel will be pleased by the film’s rendition of the Creature, a deeply compelling and tragic figure. Whereas popular culture frames the Monster as an unthinking, zombie-like beast, Frankenstein stays true to the novel by granting him intelligence and true empathy.

Elordi’s performance as the Monster is hauntingly beautiful. We witness his evolution from childlike and curious to mature and vengeful. Although he’s unable to speak when he is first created, Elordi conveys the Creature’s sadness, happiness, fury and curiosity through body language alone in a truly poetic rendition of the character.

But, Frankenstein is not perfect. There are many differences between the film and the novel with some more successful than others.

The film dwells for a considerable amount of time in Victor’s castle laboratory, where the recently animated Creature is chained up for experimentation. In the novel, Victor runs from the beast as soon as it comes to life, cementing his role as an absent and negligent creator. This alteration from the source material changes Frankenstein’s role in the Creature’s life, but it also allows for the two to form a deeper connection over a long period of time.

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The film’s long opening puts it at a disadvantage later on. The pacing in the last 30 minutes feels rushed compared to the intricately laid-out scenes in Frankenstein’s laboratory and later, the Creature’s hideout — as if the film ran out of time for its own climax. 

Frankenstein is, above all else, a tragedy. The film’s decision to speed up two major finale scenes feels slightly unearned and disconnected from the last half hour of violence.

But perhaps the suddenness of the change is a testament to the father-son symbolism peppered throughout the film and source material. Despite every cruel action and mistake, the Maker and his Adam are forever intertwined. Two halves of a monstrous, innately human whole.

Presented by the University of Maryland music school, the showcase included performances by three jazz ensembles: University Jazz Band, Jazz Lab Band and Jazz Ensemble.

As students and visitors entered the concert hall, a projector above the stage displayed fun facts about the night’s music selection and the music school.

“I’m here to listen to some good jazz,” sophomore supply chain management major Elliot McNeal said before the concert. “I had some free time tonight, so just trying to relax after a stressful semester.”

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The night’s theme was “The Basics of Basie,” a reference to the life and music of Count Basie. The bandleader’s music and leadership were pivotal in making big band jazz into what it is today. His ensemble, the Count Basie Orchestra, carries on his legacy.

“We just wanted to bring it back to the basics with Basie,” said Gio Hidalgo, a freshman jazz studies major and percussionist for Jazz Lab Band. “Most of the tunes were either written by Count Basie, written for Count Basie or written for his orchestra.”

University Jazz Band, an ensemble mainly made up of non-music majors, opened the showcase. Musicians began with the standard “In a Mellow Tone,” composed by Duke Ellington and arranged by Mark Taylor. The song’s smooth melody began in the saxophone section before transferring to the back row trumpets, which joined the saxes in a calland-response style.

Student musicians relied on one another and the steady rhythm section — guitars, keys, drums and bass — to stay in one piece. Ensemble leaders played only a supporting role in the performances, clapping along to the rhythm and occasionally signaling to players.

Bringing together the ensemble is a lengthy process. Jamie Pankratz, a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering and jazz studies who plays alto in the Lab Band, said rehearsals begin by selecting potential charts and sight-reading. Students then learn their own parts before coming together as a group.

Student instrumentalists in each ensemble showcased their musical talent through improvised solos within the written pieces.

Jazz Lab Band, comprised of both music and non-music majors, featured several soloists in their six pieces. The third song, “Don’t Git Sassy” by Thad Jones, included a tenor saxophone solo that could only be described as exceptionally stanky.

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The night’s final instrumental group, the Jazz Ensemble, featured solos by talented professional musicians affiliated with the Count Basie Orchestra.

Senior Master Sgt. Grant Langford, a former member of the orchestra, played an amazing solo on the saxophone.  

Clarence Banks, longtime trombonist for Basie’s orchestra, performed a creative solo in the song “I Need to Be Bee’d With” with the help of a trombone mute.

For percussionist Hidalgo, the emotions of the music, both in the audience and on stage, were paramount.

“I was literally smiling the entire time,” Hidalgo said “That’s super important when it comes to big band jazz, just having it feel good. And I think we did a pretty good job today.”

The student-run group is a chapter of the Hindu socio-spiritual organization. Students and volunteers have held an annual Diwali festival at this university for more than 10 years, inviting anyone to join in the celebration.

Shruti Bhatt, an alum of this university, helped organize the annual celebration when she was a student. After graduating in 2019, she continued supporting the festival’s preparations as a volunteer.

“[Diwali] is commonly known as the Festival of Lights, and it signifies the triumph of good over evil, light over dark and knowledge over ignorance,” Bhatt said. “But if we look a little bit deeper than that, it’s also about taking a moment to pause and to reflect and to introspect.”

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As they walked into the Grand Ballroom, students and visitors were guided through a series of educational exhibits highlighting different aspects of Diwali. The theme of this year’s holiday was forgiveness.

“A lot of stuff happens throughout your life,” said Khushi Patel, who graduated from this university last spring. “You don’t know how to deal with it, but forgiving yourself and forgiving your past is sometimes the only way you can move forward.”

The evening’s stations ranged from explanatory to interactive. The first part of the walkthrough offered information on each of the five days of Diwali. Other posters described the teachings of religious leader Mahant Swami Maharaj.

Visitors also used colored rice to create Rangoli, which Bhatt described as a “traditional Indian art form of different geometric shapes.”

After making their way through the walkthrough, visitors filed into chairs to watch the night’s program. On stage in front of the audience was an elaborate shrine filled with offerings as part of a tradition called annakut. Projectors played videos of worshipers and community members at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple in Beltsville.

Co-president of the campus fellowship group and freshman aerospace engineering major Nidhi Brahmbhatt said teamwork was pivotal in creating this festival and everything the organization does.

“Everyone always shows up, and they do everything together,” Brahmbhatt said.

The night’s presentation centered on spiritual reflection, music and community. Speakers emphasized the importance of forgiving one another and developing unity.

Student performers led the crowd in prayer hymns, singing with one another and playing musical instruments like the sārangī, a stringed instrument that mimics the sound of a human voice.

After the hour-long program came to a close, visitors lined up for dishes such as paneer, jeera rice and boondi ladoo.

“It seems like it’s a very loving and joyful celebration,” Antonia Swad, a student at George Washington University, said after the event. 

[Nep plays it too safe on ‘Noelle’]

Swad, who was invited by her friend and fellow George Washington student Stuti Rao, said Tuesday’s event was her first Diwali festival.

Rao, who has been involved with the Beltsville temple, helps organize the Diwali event every year. For her, this year’s theme of forgiveness is timely.

“That’s a really important thing to have in this day and age, especially because we’re going through a lot right now,” Rao said. “Forgiving yourself, forgiving others, forgiving your community, I think that’s a really important theme to have.”

And she would know; Nep is an indie musician from Daytona, Florida. Her debut album, Noelle, was released Friday.

Nep recently gained traction on social media through her quirky, energetic snippets of original songs, mostly from her 2024 EP Nep’s Storybook.

The new album features 12 songs that address heartbreak, attraction and insecurity. Nep delves into various genres, including pop, rock, folk and country.

But despite Nep’s versatility as an artist, her debut album falls short of being unique.

Nep draws on personal and relatable experiences in many songs on Noelle. But she opts for direct illustrative language rather than poetic descriptions, resulting in shallow and blunt lyricism.

For example, “Black Car Song” features this less-than-poetic verse: “Mom stays home on Fridays / We watch Harry Potter 4 / She forgets 1, 2, and 3 / But she watches with me / And we cry, Cedric dies, we cry more.”

This direct pop culture reference breaks the song’s immersion and feels like a cheap appeal to nostalgia.

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In “Daytona,” Nep sings, “I’m failing my classes / But I always pass ’cause I’m goddamn smart / My parents shouldn’t be proud of me / But they still are, they still are.”

This writing style is not entirely out of character for Nep — past songs such as “Milk Town / Mr. Carter” have been story-focused rather than symbolic. But while “Milk Town” was humorous and fictional, the songs on Noelle attempt to convey emotional realism with the same level of bluntness.

At the very least, her listeners will certainly know what she’s talking about.

Nep’s target audience is Gen Z to a fault. In addition to referencing pop culture in her lyrics, she mentions using a YouTube tutorial to bleach her eyebrows on the song “Scar.” Nep also uses common internet slang such as “I will talk my shit.” It’s a style reflective of Gen Z’s preferred musical sound, and songs on the album indicate the influence of artists such as Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Mitski.

Many tracks on the album feature an indie-pop style that values vibes over substance. The song “Girls On TV” has an energetic beat, but the fuzzy vocal layering and instrumentation drown out Nep’s lyrics. It results in a common pop sound indistinguishable from others in the genre.

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“Scar” takes on a more acoustic, folk-country blend. The lighter instrumentation makes Nep’s Billie-Eilish-esque singing voice much easier to understand.

But like the end of Eilish’s song “Happier Than Ever,” “Scar” unfortunately devolves into a jumble of electric guitar noise. The catchy melody disappears, leaving listeners with loud electric guitar reverb for almost a full minute while the lyric “I let it scar” repeats over and over. While the shift offers an interesting artistic parallel to the song’s themes of emotional turmoil, the ending falls flat musically.

But Nep’s musicianship is strongest when she embraces her roots in “Florida Girl,” leaning into catchy guitar melodies rather than layers of noise.

If you need a song to scream in the shower, “Daytona” is your best bet. Nep infuses this rock-style track with more emotion and anger, practically yelling the repeated line, “My future is dead.” With a strong percussion beat and electric guitar, it’s impossible not to bob your head along to this tune while thinking about the terrors of growing older.

“Florida Girl” also features an upbeat and acoustic vibe, but ends on a much cleaner note than “Scar.” This ending track contains the catchiest bridge on the album with the happily nonchalant lyrics: “So what, the damage is done / What’s wrong with having some fun? / Takes one to know one so / I’m gonna be the bitch this time.”

For listeners who prefer the pop style with thickly layered electric instrumentation, Noelle will feel like a step in the right direction for Nep’s musical journey. But for those who enjoyed Nep’s past indie folk work on Nep’s Storybook, her artistic evolution may be disappointing.

“I wonder if the Squirrel Watching Club is active nowadays,” he wrote.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening. This university’s Maryland Squirrel Watchers held a Halloween-themed meeting in the basement of Jiménez Hall, promising “a mysterious night of intrigue, betrayal, and old-fashioned family fun” for attendees.

As Squirrel Watchers filled the classroom, members brought out snacks, an acorn-shaped globe and the club’s mascot — a stuffed squirrel named Brrrrrick. The meeting began with humorous slides reviewing the history of the club and introducing the board.  

But then the lights went out. When they came back on, the club’s president was lying “dead” on the ground.

The Diamondback spoke with the corpse in question, co-president of the Maryland Squirrel Watchers and junior computer science major Jonathan Jayaputra.

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Jayaputra said he and his friends were inspired by Maryland Images tours to create the Maryland Squirrel Watchers.

“Every tour group, they say that there is a squirrel club on campus,” Jayaputra said. “When we were coming in, three or four years ago now, we were hearing about the squirrel club.”

After looking for the club, Jayaputra realized it was nowhere to be found. That’s why in November 2024, he and his friends decided to make their own squirrel-watching organization.

As was evident at Tuesday’s spooky-themed meeting, the club’s initiatives go beyond admiring the campus’ squirrel population.

Jayaputra said because squirrels are the most common animal seen on campus, it is only fitting that the student body have a club dedicated to them.

This semester, the Maryland Squirrel Watchers worked on a “Data Harvesting Initiative.” Students submitted photos of campus squirrels to a shared Google Form for the chance to win a free t-shirt. 

When the club received more than 130 submissions of squirrel photos, three lucky participants were chosen at random to receive a free shirt. And in September, the Squirrel Watchers partnered with the Terrapin Trails Club for a squirrel walk around Lake Artemesia.

But beyond that, the Maryland Squirrel Watchers is a social club.

“We really try to host events that people will enjoy,” junior computer engineering major Amanda Callaghan said. “It’s just a good place to have fun, relax, joke about squirrels, things that are slightly less squirrel-themed, like murder mystery.”

On Tuesday, the squirrel watchers were split into groups of detectives and given different pieces of “evidence” to complete the murder mystery, with the game’s rules resembling a squirrel-themed version of Clue. 

Callaghan, who serves as diversity, equity and inclusion chair and secretary, was later revealed to be Jayaputra’s murderer.

While the club members were busy uncovering a murder plot, the organization’s affinity for the campus squirrels remained apparent.

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“I think they’re very cute and adorable,” said junior computer science major Jack Campbell after the meeting. “I’m glad there’s a club that supports them.”

In the future, the club hopes to continue hosting social events that encourage an appreciation for the University of Maryland’s squirrels.

“We have so many people here today. I mean, it’s just building our membership. Spreading the love of squirrels,” Jayaputra said.

So, to answer Shulman’s inquiry, yes. The Squirrel Watching Club is active nowadays.

Performed and produced by the University of Maryland’s theatre, dance and performance studies school, the musical primarily follows the story of two employees of Maraczek’s Parfümēria, Amalia Balash and Georg Nowack. The coworkers are bickering rivals who have been unknowingly sending love letters to each other through a “Lonely Hearts” column. Antics ensue when Mr. Nowack discovers the identity of his anonymous friend and realizes it is his displeasing coworker.

But Mr. Nowack and Ms. Balash are not always the center of attention — this ensemble musical features a heartwarming cast of characters, each with their own hopes, dreams and solo numbers. Supporting the production was a featured pit orchestra of musicians from this university’s music school, as well as projected closed captions.

“Ever since last year, I was trying to go to more Clarice events in general … This is one of the ones that seemed interesting,” said junior immersive media design and studio art major Anna Marchler. 

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The musical began at the detailed storefront of “Maraczek’s Parfümēria,” the Bath and Bodyworks-esque shop that employs our main characters: Mr. Maraczek, Amalia Balash, Steven Kodaly, Arpad Laszlo, Georg Nowack, Ilona Ritter and Ladislav Sipos. As the characters entered their workplace, the front door of Maraczek’s lifted into the rafters to reveal an intricately designed parfumerie complete with stocked shelves of products and even a spiral staircase.

“I got to see how things came in and out when we had to do touch-ups and things, which is a lot of fun,”said sophomore theatre major Mary McHale, who helped paint the musical’s set. 

She Loves Me contained both comedic and sincere beats that prompted a wide variety of emotions in the audience.

The eager character of Arpad, played by junior elementary education and theatre major Matthew Dietrich, created many of the show’s humorous moments. When attempting to convince Mr. Maraczek to hire him as a salesperson, Arpad sincerely sang, “Why break someone in / When I’m already broken?”, prompting laughter from the audience.

The musical featured many emotional twists and turns. The audience voiced “ooohs” of surprise when Mr. Maraczek learned that his employee, Mr. Kodaly, was having an affair with his wife. When Maraczek’s subsequent exit from the stage was followed by the ring of a gunshot, the audience gasped in shock, and a hush fell over the theater. Don’t worry — Maraczek reappeared safe in a hospital bed at the beginning of Act 2, resolving the tension from his previous scene.

Throughout the show, the central enemies-to-lovers romance between Amalia and Georg had viewers on the edge of their seats. When the building drama finally resulted in the two lovebirds kissing under falling snow, loud cheering rang out from the crowd.

“I felt like that was the most heartfelt rom-com I’ve seen in a while,” said sophomore theatre major Dean White after the show.

Sophomore finance and theatre major Jordan Richard described the experience on stage as a “lovely adrenaline rush.”

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Richard played a humorous waiter and a customer on opening night, but he also holds roles as Kodaly’s understudy and the show’s dance captain. 

“Half of the people in that performance are non-theatre majors,” he said. “It is truly such a lovely melting pot of people that you get to know, and I think that that’s what makes theater great – it’s pulling experiences from your own life and different people you meet.”

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Depending on which version of it you watch, Sweeney Todd is either an eerie Tim Burton tall tale or a grimly comedic journey into situationally convenient cannibalism. Either way, it’s a one-of-a-kind trip.

When protagonist Sweeney Todd returns to London from unjust imprisonment and finds that his wife, Lucy, is dead, he vows to get revenge. With the help of his old straight razors and a manic baker, Sweeney takes creative measures to avenge his wife. Tread lightly if you have a weak stomach.

Ride the Cyclone

This off-Broadway comedy features a cast portraying six recently deceased high schoolers, one sentient fortune-telling carnival machine and one very hungry rat eating through the fortune teller’s wiring. The liminal space between life and death is as wacky as it gets.

The children are members of a Canadian high school choir who tragically die after a roller coaster called the Cyclone breaks. In a series of solo and group numbers, each character pleads their case for why they should earn the right to return to the land of the living. Ride the Cyclone has a diverse range of songs, with “The Ballad of Jane Doe” in particular a beautifully haunting performance perfect for the Halloween season.

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Rocky Horror Picture Show

Don’t let the title fool you — this cult-classic isn’t actually a horror musical. Starring the incomparable Tim Curry, Rocky Horror is pure, unadulterated camp.

Watch as unassuming lovebirds Janet Weiss and Brad Majors find themselves trapped in the strange home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist who somehow succeeds in creating life. With rock-and-roll musical numbers and unashamed raunchiness, this musical is sure to make any dull October night into one to remember.

The Hatchetfield Trilogy

The Hatchetfield trilogy is a series of three professionally recorded stage musicals created by the musical theater company Starkid, best known for A Very Potter Musical. The productions take inspiration from several horror tropes, including alien invasions, mind control and teen slashers. Each musical exists in an alternate version of the fictional town of Hatchetfield, and many familiar characters serve as Easter eggs throughout the trilogy.

The first musical is The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, a hilarious, self-aware production about a Broadway-hater named Paul who discovers his town is invaded by body-snatching, spontaneously singing aliens. Situational humor mixes with genuine heart as Paul and his friends attempt to evade this musical nightmare.

Next is Black Friday, a family-oriented musical that asks the question: what if the most popular toy of the holiday season was actually a Lovecraftian monster from the beyond? Bridging the gap between spooky month and “the most wonderful time of the year,” this installment has a lot to offer for anti-consumerist audiences.

The final musical is Nerdy Prudes Must Die, which follows the social outcast Peter Spankoffski and his friends as they deal with their evil high school bully, Max Jägerman. Things come to a head when the geeks accidentally murder Max, leading to the bully returning as a ghost and vowing revenge on all “nerdy prudes” in Hatchetfield. For any fans of more mature productions, this trilogy is for you. 

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Next to Normal

This production is not necessarily scary, but it is a ghost story. Familial trauma and the paranormal collide to blur the lines between reality and delusion.

On the surface, the Goodmans look like a normal nuclear family. But as cracks appear in the family’s lives, we soon learn that the mother’s mental illness has taken a harsh toll on every family member, creating a household that is anything but normal. With plot twists throughout, Next to Normal grabs your attention and refuses to let go.

Bonus: Cats (2019)

This infamous movie musical is not scary, nor is it a thriller, but it is certainly unsettling. You’re sure to be covering your eyes in no time.

The event featured six musical acts ranging in genres and styles. The featured performers, including both soloists and groups, were all University of Maryland students.

SEE’s concerts director, senior criminology and criminal justice and government and politics major Alex Atherton, designed the event to be an accessible showcase of student musical talent. She said she came up with the idea after studying abroad and watching local performers.

“I really just wanted to create a low-stakes, very relaxed, kind of coffee shop vibe for an event,” Atherton said. “Just a place to platform our students and also just create a little bit of joy on campus.”

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The vibe was certainly cozy, with the atrium’s usual study space converted into an open concert venue. Musicians played both original songs and covers, while students crowded around the stage on couches and cushioned chairs.

Other audience members stood in the back and listened with their friends. Many more caught snippets of the music as they walked through the area.

“I’m just really interested in the music scene that [this university] has here,” said freshman history major Naomi Richardson. “There’s, like, tens of thousands of students. I figured there must be some kind of music here.”

For more than two hours, the six acts showcased their talent as the evening featured acoustic and electric instrumental performances.

Members of the band Albatross incorporated electric guitar into their rock-esque pieces. Junior psychology major Rachel Groce performed as a guitarist and backing vocalist for the band, which performed a medley of covers and original tracks. 

She said she liked the idea of the Cozy Concerts because of her love for music. 

“I love music,” Groce said. “By performing, you get to get to know other people who are into music, especially similar things that you’re into.”

Performers stuck around after their sets to talk with audience members and watch each other, creating a supportive atmosphere.

It was senior information science major Grace Yu’s first singing performance in a concert setting. Yu played slower, melodic songs on the piano with help from a friend on the electric guitar.

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“It was in a very intimate setting, so it made it more comfortable for me to be able to perform,” Yu said.

The concerts created a symbiotic relationship between performer and audience, with the artists getting the chance to share their work and audience members getting the opportunity to relax and unwind to music on a Thursday night.

“Creating spaces like this where our student body is able to perform and enjoy music is really important,” Atherton said. “We’re hitting that point in the semester where everyone’s getting a little stressed, and a second of sitting down and just listening to music always brightens my day.”

We live in an era of adaptation. It seems like no popular film is exempt from being turned into a musical. Recently, the song-and-dance adaptation of the 1992 cult classic Death Becomes Her received 10 nominations at the 2025 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. 

Musical versions of Mean Girls, Waitress, The Notebook and Back to the Future all spent time on Broadway this decade. My personal favorite musical of recent years, Beetlejuice, will return to Broadway in October for its third run.

This current adaptation trend is concerning many in the theater fandom. Redditors who love Broadway lament its turn toward adaptations, wishing that more original ideas filled theaters. Popular social media figure Jess Val Ortiz recently argued online that “not every movie needs to be turned into a musical,” earning over 186K likes on Tik Tok.

I understand the concern. Miranda Priestly’s movie persona may be too serious and stoic for rock-style songs written by Elton John. Some stories are simply better suited for the screen than the stage, while others are too well-known as films to be convincing as musicals.

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However, Broadway’s sudden crisis of unoriginality feels exaggerated. Musicals haven’t become unoriginal just because movie adaptations are taking over — many famous Broadway musicals are adaptations. 

Back in 2019, Trevor Jones for The Conversation argued theater was always a breeding ground for adaptations, especially ones of popular novels. We see this most recently in The Great Gatsby and The Outsiders, two musicals which began as worldwide literary phenomena.

Wicked — one of the most popular movies right now — is an incredible musical based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, which in turn was based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Hamilton is currently celebrating its 10-year anniversary and a return to the internet’s spotlight, and Lin-Manuel Miranda based that musical off of Ron Chernow’s biography, Alexander Hamilton. 

Way further back in time, one of Broadway’s earliest hits, Porgy and Bess, was adapted from a stage play, which was, you guessed it, adapted from a novel. Oklahoma!, a terrible musical from the wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein, was adapted from a play as well.

If you’re concerned about Broadway’s lack of originality, the first thing you must understand is that it is not a new phenomenon.

Original ideas are great, and we shouldn’t try arguing over the merits of Legally Blonde versus In the Heights. Instead, what the theater community needs to ask itself is how much a musical’s origins really matter.

Musicals with completely original concepts are just as likely to bomb. Merrily We Roll Along is an original show that was poorly received during its first Broadway run, and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is an infamous adaptation that ended (literally) painfully. Conversely, Falsettos is an incredible original concept whereas the stage adaptation of Les Misérables became theater gold.

[Lola Young chooses style over substance on ‘I’m Only F**king Myself’]

Good art can come from unexpected places. Bad art can, too. What matters is not where a musical comes from but instead, how it makes you feel. Judging a show based on its inception may lead audiences to overlook new, exceptional works. If there was any perfect environment to try weird things and see if they stick, it’s musical theater. After all, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s fever dream Cats ran on Broadway for an exceptionally long time, proving that even the most bizarre concept can find success on stage. So who knows? Maybe The Devil Wears Prada will also run for decades if it makes its Broadway debut.