The story of “COLLEGE: The Musical,” which filled the Richland’s Fannin Hall stage from April 22 to 25, unfolds over a single weekend in the common room of 212 Gauss Hall, famously known as the campus’ biggest party spot.
At the center is Nathan, an eager, wide‑eyed freshman still figuring out who he is and where he fits in.
Through Nathan’s eyes, we meet the people who define life in 212: Jay, the charismatic and elusive figure who sets the tone; Sarah, stuck in a cycle of unreturned feelings; Eddie, the athletic regular;
Simon, the serious academic; Amy, running on caffeine and exhaustion; Rob, permanently glued to his video games; Lindsay, confident and flirtatious; Agnes, the overly devoted public safety officer; and a rotating cast of friends who keep the room buzzing day and night.
Hovering at the edge of it all is Katharine, the girl everyone can see is right for Nathan, except Nathan himself.
Swept up by his newfound freedom and the thrill of college life, he barely notices her as he dives headfirst into the world Jay and his roommates celebrate: sleeping late, skipping class, gaming for hours, partying hard and chasing a version of the “ideal” college life that feels limitless — at least for now.
Most notably, the students sang their hearts out for over two hours without an intermission, with multiple stage changes for the various scenes.
“My sister’s one of the performers,” said Noelle Gamboa.
“Her name is Yazi Gamboa. I think the performance was amazing,” she said. “I attended all four performances. Yeah, they were consistent and stayed on beat. All of them were incredible. I was having a really good time. I felt like a little kid again while watching. It was nice.” She thanked the cast.
Izzy Alonzo said, “I thought the show was fun to watch. I think it’s charismatic, stupid and silly at times. It reminded me a lot of early 2000s movies. That’s what I learned about it.”
Jesus Sanchez said, “I played Jay in the College Musical production, and I want to say that my experience being incorporated into musical theater has been very positive. This is my first musical here at Richland. This is also the first musical performance since the pandemic began in 2020, I might add. It’s just great to be part of that, and it’s very positive to be able to express myself, do what I like outside of a job, and be associated with this school. This is something I’m very grateful for. All the people I work with are very nice. It was just a great experience overall, and I’m appreciative of everyone who came to see our performance.”
