The lights dimmed in the Dance Center as a student walked out to the center microphone. The piano accompaniment to “The New World” played in the background as more students filed out of the wings of the stage. By the end of the song, a crowd of students were onstage singing together for the first performance of First Look on Thursday, Oct. 8.
First Look is a weekend-long production catered to first-year musical theatre students that was founded last year.
During the second week of the fall semester, Colte Julian, director of First Look, held auditions for the Fall 2026 production. The next week was spent putting together an entire show with the help of the first-year musical theatre students.
Julian noted that in the current theatre production calendar, there was nothing that first-year students could do in their first semester.
“I think it’s really important to welcome engagement right from the beginning from first-year students,” said Julian, an assistant professor of instruction in the School of Theatre and Dance.
When first-year musical theatre major Miller Rawlinson got to Columbia, he was told to audition for everything he could. When he was looking for productions to audition for, he couldn’t find many, until he heard about First Look.
“The whole show is catered towards us,” Rawlinson said. “This was basically the first thing that introduced me to Columbia.”
Triniti Colbert, a first-year musical theatre major, came to Columbia looking to find her people. Colbert said this show gave her a theater family that she’s never been a part of before.
“You don’t have to be 18. You can be a transfer. You can be a freshman at 21 years old, like it really doesn’t matter,” Colbert said. “There’s a spot for you, and I really enjoy that a lot, and these are people I hope to hold close to my heart for forever.”
The central theme of First Look is about becoming a part of Columbia and showing the identities of the diverse student body. Throughout the night, songs from well-known musicals including Wicked and Les Misérables were sung by students.
When picking songs for the show, Julian wanted the students to use the songs as a storytelling device, not just a showcase of talent.
“Sometimes we change keys. Sometimes we have students of varying gender identities and or different stages of their transition,” Julian said.
Throughout the course of rehearsals, which were only two and a half weeks, Colbert made many new friends and felt herself being pulled into the musical theater community. She said that the fast-paced design of the show helped her stay focused and made the end result even more impressive.
The show will run at the Dance Center at 1306 S. Michigan Ave. on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 from 7 to 9 p.m.
“I go home every night proud of myself and my fellow castmates, proud of what we’ve done, proud of what we’re putting on,” Colbert said.
Copy edited by Isaac Russo
