SCDS Annual Showcase Draws Huge Crowd to Celebrate “Songs of Courage and Strength”
Koch Auditorium was packed — standing room only. Torah programming was starting late. The science wing staircase was full of jittering students in costumes.
Showcase was about to begin.
Showcase, more specifically the annual Musical Theater Showcase presented by the Stern College Dramatics Society (SCDS), took place on March 23, 2026, in a packed auditorium at Yeshiva University’s Beren Campus. Showcase, open only to women, is a unique opportunity for YU women to sing, dance and express themselves through a medium not often available to women in an Orthodox Jewish community.
This year, the theme for Showcase was “This is Me — Songs of Courage and Strength.” Each of the sixteen acts, beginning with the eponymous song “This is Me,” fit that theme. Each act was directed by a student, allowing students to not only perform but also to choreograph and direct.
In addition to each song, a highlight of the night was the interludes by emcees Liela Silbiger (SCW ‘27) and Aliza Flug (SCW ‘27), SCDS Production Designer. Silbiger and Flug chose to portray themselves as Stern students struggling to figure out who they are, something to which many audience members related. Their opening remarks discussed Flug’s (fictionalized) meeting with the career center that day, and in between each act, the two discussed possible career paths they might take, ranging from switching to Biology majors to starting a gang. Each interlude ended with a clever play on the title of the next song, furthering their conversation and simultaneously announcing the next act. Audience members laughed in the right places and even cheered when Silbiger and Flug mentioned Flug’s famous sarcophagus from SCDS’s 2025 play “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”
Performances were kicked off with high energy as six students took to the stage to perform “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” directed by SCDS vice president Tamara Yeshurun (SCW ‘26). The energy was palpable as they sang about being unapologetically yourself. With beautiful harmonies, soaring high notes and breathtaking choreography, the group set a high bar for the next fifteen acts.
The next fifteen acts did not disappoint.
As “Learn To Do It” from “Anastasia” opened with the searing question “how do you become the person you’ve forgotten you ever were,” the three performers jumped into a scene that was simultaneously funny and beautiful. This piece especially showcased the acting skills of the performers; the song lyrics tell a story, but it would not have been told as beautifully without facial expressions and body language. Once again, Yeshurun’s choreography shone.
In “All I Ever Wanted” from “The Prince of Egypt,” the powerful emotions felt by Moses, played by SCDS president Talia Feldman (SCW ‘26), reverberated throughout the entire room. This scene also featured a stunning backdrop by Flug, creating the sense that Ancient Egypt had been dropped into modern-day Manhattan. “The Schuyler Sisters” from “Hamilton” followed as a beautiful and heartwrenching portrayal of characters in the center of a changing world, featuring rap and polyphony and ending in huge cheers. “Right Hand Man” from “Something Rotten,” directed by and starring Feldman, featured humor, charisma, fantastic singing and breathtaking choreography that utilized the entire stage area.
Yeshurun, famous in Stern Music classes for her ability to sound just like Julie Andrews, did not disappoint audience members with her rendition of “I Have Confidence” from “The Sound of Music.” Using a guitar as a prop to demonstrate Maria’s shifting confidence levels, Yeshurun’s vocals soared beautifully, dazzling audience members and positioning herself up there with vocal greats such as Andrews. Yeshurun was followed by a group of five “Revolting Children” from “Matilda,” whose beautiful acting and awesome choreography by Hayley Goldberg (SCW ‘26), SCDS Events Coordinator, was fun, fast-paced and most definitely not revolting.
“You Can’t Stop the Beat” from “Hairspray” was a dance number directed by Ashley Hefner (SCW ‘26). Audience members danced in their seats along with the six talented and energetic dancers onstage. Cheers followed the dancers offstage and greeted Goldberg as she made her way back onstage for a solo performance of “Back to Before” from “Ragtime.” Goldberg’s beautiful voice captivated the audience as she truly embodied the emotion of the song and made audience members feel it along with her.
The final act was “Keep Marching” from “Suffs.” Directed by Goldberg and featuring 17 performers from previous acts, this huge closing number left audience members with a beautiful message of resilience.
As the performers gathered for their bows, Silbiger and Flug concluded their dialogue with a message of hope and humor. They didn’t settle on careers, but as Flug said, “Maybe that’s okay.”
“You’re right,” Silbiger said. “I just know that this is me. I’m a Stern girl trying to figure out where life is taking her next.”
“You’re right,” Flug echoed. “This is me. These are my values.” Flug then held up a sheet of the Five Torot, to huge laughter and applause. “I am YU.”
Reflecting on the night, Feldman told The Commentator that “It was amazing to see things that I talked about over the summer slowly and surely come to fruition on one amazing night of musical theater.”
For Feldman, Showcase was especially monumental as it marked her last event as SCDS president. “I hope that I have left a positive mark on Stern during my time as president, because it has definitely left a positive mark on me,” Feldman told The Commentator. “I was able to meet so many wonderful women, both students at the school and otherwise.” Looking toward the future, Feldman said that “with a record high of attendees at the Musical Theater Showcase, I hope and I know that Liela Silbiger and Aliza Flug will continue on this forward momentum.”
Photo Caption: Acknowledgements at the end of the event
Photo Credit: Talia Feldman
