Variety: The quality or state of having different forms or types. Variety Show: a theatrical entertainment of successive separate performances of songs, dances, skits and acrobatic feats.

The Student Activity Council (SAC) just finished finalizing the acts for this year’s show.  This is the second year that Student Activities has worked to put together the variety show.  The committee and hosts of the show had less than three weeks to put the event together, but the time constraint has never affected the quality of entertainment within years past.

“This year,” says Christine Swanson, Student Activities Council’s on-campus director, “The show is certainly living up to its name is ‘variety’ and it’s going to be stupendous!”

On Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m., the  anticipated fall variety show will take place right in Maranatha Hall.

In the past, the fall and spring variety shows have offered a great evening of entertainment for Northwestern students, faculty and staff. Each show ends up offering something new and unexpected to the thrill of the audience.

The history of variety shows has truly shown the campus the meaning of variety. Musical acts, skits, comedy and a number of indefinable talents grace the stage each year, and each new show does not disappoint.

Twice a year, the variety show hosts offer a new take on the job of fronting the show, each one unique and different from the previous hosts.

The 2009 Fall Variety Show will have Chris Spang and Mark Flemming helming the stage as hosts for the night.

The history of variety shows has seen such interactive entertainment that rivals the very acts themselves. This variety show should be no different. “They have a lot up their sleeves,” says Swanson on Spang and Fleming.

As far as acts go, variety does indeed describe the spread of entertainment in store for students.

Music has always dominated the variety shows of the past, and in the case of this semester’s show, there will be more than sufficient variety among the musical acts themselves.

Ranging from original piano pieces and vocal performances to covers of popular music, the all-important musical side of the show will even include some rapping and lip syncing.

The music at the variety shows tends to get the students on their collective feet at some point during the night.

Many variety shows in the past have ended on a big musical number, bringing all the musical talent together to perform collectively a song that everyone will recognize. Let’s hope they keep the tradition alive and end the show with a bang.

Variety also shows itself among the non-musical acts with one category being dance. A number of dance acts are scheduled that will include a performance pop-n-lockin, a form of hip-hop dance that came out of Fresno, CA in the 1970s.

The essential occurrence of stand-up comedy will of course take place at some point during the night; the show has a juggling act in store for us as well.

The performances will not likely disappoint as students line up for an evening of entertainment.

Freshmen, transfers and upperclassmen who have somehow managed to miss the shows of previous years should be advised to line up early and bring something to read or someone to talk to.

The variety shows always lives up to the hype, which means long lines and maybe a friendly fight for good seats.

After all, nothing’s better than free variety-filled entertainment.