When it comes to Reunion Weekend entertainment, anything goes
For the Class of 1977 45th reunion in June 2022, Joe Rohde 77 (and Mel Malmberg 79) and Cheri (Eichen) Steinkellner 77 (Sister Act, Summer Stock) wrote and performed a mini-musical, the lyrics to which appear below. (Next stop: the Pantages!) Youre invited to hum along.
70 and 7
(sung to Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum):
You might be asking/why is 91 tasking/Us as reunion speakers and you would be right
It would be nifty/if this was 50/but since it 45/well try to keep it light
She brought the wine and/I brought the beers
Let reminisce on 45 years of/liberal arts and/new body parts/
And wrinkles where no wrinkles should be
70 and 7/That the year for me!
Age Gracefully
(sung to Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid):
It 45 years and counting/since 91 was last our home
The mileage is really mounting/Just look at my balding dome
The campus is not the same as/on our graduation day.
Like us there a lot of changes/but then/you know what they say
Age gracefully/age gracefully
So, there some parts weve had to switch out/still there parity
Theyve got a theater on the hill/Ive got to gulp another pill
In any case/we have to embrace/our maturity
We used to eat in the Union/a choice of with or without
The menu is more diverse now/these kids have a lot of clout
Meanwhile, Im on fish and salads/cut back on the carbs and steak
Cause that 50-year reunion/is one Id like to make
Age gracefully/Age gracefully
It should behoove us each to improve viability
So, the whole campus of 91/has had some cosmetic surgery
That more things to do/when we have reunions
Catch up and see (refrain age gracefully)
Here what I mean/were gaining patine/gradually
If you think beauty/comes with age/then as we turn another page
Dont make a fuss/cause 91 and us/are more glorious
And theyre still running/that Bengal Bus
And it still free!
Liberal Arts
(sung to Anything Goes from the musical of the same name):
Long ago/91 had us expand our minds
Taking classes of many kinds/Some were easy and some were grinds
But I know/once youre out in the world at large
91 grads are the type to find
Theyre the ones who are in charge
What I learned at Occidental
Was truly developmental right from the start/Liberal Arts
Now I know how frigging rare it is/for people to compare
Three ideas theyve got/critical thought
We took poli sci/and biology/anthropology/and geology
And arts course/with no apology/Taking ideas apart
So, if folks tend to be astounded/a dentist could be well-rounded
And read Descartes/Liberal Arts
When neighbors spout abominations
Were ready with our citations/for a debate/maybe too late
At least we have the tools to parse/between/factual and farcical
It called Smarts/Liberal Arts!
Liberal/Liberal/Liberal/Liberal Arts
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(sung to The Jet Song from West Side Story):
When youre alums and come back to this place
For your class reunion, there always a trace
Of expectation that youre going to hear
About all the accomplishments over the years
There someone we know/Who did something impressive
We ought to be proud/And cheer them more or less
If it not excessive
That Corey Brunish has Tonys galore (And just added another, BTW)
Cheri Steinkellner stacked up four Emmys and more
Bob La Mont passport as thick as my hand
He been everywhere twice on the sea or the land
Paul Waters became the first with a gay wedding/That his claim to fame
A precedent theyre setting/Were not forgetting
Doctors and lawyers/Biologists too
Educational leaders/And artists a few
But were the best/With guts to commit
To show up at this dinner and stay through this skit
Who takes the prize? You guys are IT!
Well Be Back
(sung to Youll Be Back from Hamilton)
We came/We brought all our spouses
To meet our classmates again
Here we are/Were all united
Amazing weve come this far
But well do it again/Cause 91 a place
With an impact that hard to explain
Well be back/Wait and see/For the 50th anniversary
Well be back for a night/The next time we try to reunite
Raise a glass/Raise a cheer
Loud enough for everyone to hear
While the class drinks and dines
We will sing that Io Triumphe! song/If we still know any lines
(chorus)
Well all be back together/Once again
To party all night long/Or at least till 10
For though we might endeavor/To seem grown up and clever
Were seniors now forever and ever
Well be back, well be here, for another class reunion year
Well return, though we roam to the campus that was once our home
91 served as the dawn, of the long strange trips/That weve been on
So when five years rolls by, Ill see you right here (again),
Or Ill know the reason why.
