Every year, the Reality Show lights up stages at NYU’s three global campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. Since its debut in 2006, the show has become an NYU tradition that helps incoming students navigate the challenges of college life through humor, music, and storytelling.
This year’s NYU Shanghai cast performed twice: first on September 10, and again on September 11 in a special show just for the Class of 2029. NYU President Linda Mills, who launched the Reality Show in New York, was in attendance for her third year in a row. She said the show highlights a crucial part of the college experience: forging friendships.
"As you take these first steps of this academic year, you will need hard work and a bit of courage, but most of all, you will need each other,” she said. “Remember: the further you travel toward one another, the more you will learn on the way."
Phoebe Jiang ’28, one of the cast members, remembered being deeply moved as a first-year student in the audience last year. “The songs and scenes felt so relatable. I didn’t know anyone when I first came here, but watching the show made me think: how great it would be if one day I could join them,” she said.
Others joined the cast to challenge themselves.. “I usually do dramatic acting, so I wanted to try something new,” said Tiyannah Santiago ’28. “It’s a fun way to connect with classmates and build confidence while sharing my passion for performing.”
The Reality Show journey began this summer in New York City, where cast members from all three campuses spent two months building the show together on the NYU campus. Guided by a professional team from New York City, they devoted hours each day to writing skits, composing songs with guidance from music director Nate Weida, rehearsing vocals, and choreographing routines with choreographer Ariel Blackwood.
One highlight was the “Share Day,” where students from New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai presented their works-in-progress. “I felt so encouraged when students from other campuses resonated with our jokes and cheered us on,” said Nie Heyang ’28. “That support made us more confident.”
Li Jiayan ’28 recalled the challenges her team of cast members dealt with during rehearsals. “Sometimes it felt like we couldn’t quite express what we wanted. But on the Share Day, the energy of the cast members from all three campuses performing for each other lifted us,” she said. “When we returned to Shanghai, things started clicking more naturally.”
Each year’s Reality Show blends classic numbers with new student-created pieces that reflect their current experiences on campus. Hakob Khachikyan ’28 said he knew he wanted to be part of the show as early as last year, when he first watched it. “When I learned the show was created by students, I wanted to write for it,” he said. “My goal was to send the message that you’re not alone. Everyone struggles sometimes, but there’s always support.”
Eddie Kirschner ’28 said many of the themes for the skits came from their own experiences as first-year students. “We want new students to know they’re not the only ones going through these things, and that resources are out there,” he said.
The show’s impact often brings students back. Dana Zinchenko ’26, a cast member last year, returned this year. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” she recalled. “As a senior, I wanted to relive it and spend my last summer here with this community.”
Stage managers Yang Yunyi ’26 and Doris Wang ’27, both former cast members, also found value in seeing the show from behind the scenes. “Experiencing it from another perspective gave us a more complete understanding,” they said.
Associate Director Angel Lin, who has been with NYU Shanghai’s Reality Show since its earliest years, sees the evolving themes as part of its strength. “The show changes every year because the students change,” she said. “They bring new ideas about what matters to them and to their peers. And every year, the cast surprises me with how much I learn from them.”
While the Reality Show entertains with catchy songs and sharp humor, its heart lies in helping new students feel seen and supported. From the stage lights of New York to the applause in Shanghai, the 2025 cast carries forward a tradition that blends creativity, courage, and community.
As the cast members put it: “We’re all in this together.”
Creative Team
Director - Matthew Dean Marsh
Associate Director - Angel Lin
Music Director - Nate Weida
Stage Manager - Doris Wang, Yang Yunyi
Executive Producer - Linda G. Mills
Producer - Zoe Ragouzeos
Creator - Elizabeth Swados (1951 - 2016)
Coordinators - Zige Zhao and Shelly Lu
If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to the counseling resources available from the Student Health Center. You can also call the 24-hour Wellness Exchange hotline number at +86-21-2059-9999.