SMU students and the Mustang Band will showcase their musical and comedic talents Friday night at the Pigskin Revue, a musical variety show steeped in SMU Homecoming history.
This year’s 74th annual Revue, hosted by the Mustang Band, will kick off at 8:15 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium and will feature music, dance and comedy acts, including performances by the SMU Pom Squad.
Before the music and entertainment begin, guests can eat dinner from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom. After the Revue, festivities will return to the Umphrey Lee Ballroom, where a reception, lasting until midnight, will cap off the night with dessert, wine and beer.
The dinner and reception, sponsored by the Diamond M Club, are some of the new additions to the Revue.
“This year is supposed to be bigger and better than any other year,” says Micah Nerio, the Homecoming Chair for Student Foundation.
For the first time in a decade, the show will be back in McFarlin Auditorium instead of Umphrey Lee. It’s also the first time Homecoming candidates will be presented on stage.
In addition, the Eta Iota Sigma sorority will be performing along with the Voices of Inspiration gospel choir.
This year’s theme is SMUStock 06, and the Mustang Band will play a selection of music from the 1960s to commemorate SMU’s Southwest Conference champions of 40 years ago. During the 1966-67 school year, SMU won conference championships in football, basketball, and men’s swimming.
In addition, the baseball team was in contention until the last day of the season. Members of these Championship teams will attend the event.
“The show used to be one of the biggest events on campus,” says Lindi Farris, the Mustang Band business manager. “We are just trying to lay the foundation to hopefully bring it back to what it used to be.”
Started in 1933, the Pigskin Revue was created as an old Vaudeville show where people showed off their talents. The Revue quickly grew to be an important part of SMU Homecoming celebrations, drawing members of the SMU community as well as celebrities like “Sports Illustrated” model Cheryl Tiegs and entertainer Bob Hope.
Tommy Tucker is the assistant director of the Mustang Band. This is his 25th year of writing music for the Revue.
“The one thing that has changed,” Tucker says, “is we don’t get as much Greek participation as we used to back when we didn’t have Sing Song or Talent Show.”
This year seems to be geared at attracting the school-wide involvement that once characterized the Revue. “They are really encouraging more groups to participate besides the Mustang Band. It’s a huge event for alumni, and I think it’s going to gradually catch on as the years go by,” Nerio says.
General admission tickets for the show are $10 per person and $5 with a student ID. In addition, tickets for the dinner are $20 per person, while tickets for the dessert reception are $10.
