The theme is “Hawk Wild” at the 2007 Rock Chalk Revue, the satirical musical showcase that is a tradition among KU’s fraternity and sorority crowd. Join Rob Williams, executive producer of this year’s event, for an online chat at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Moderator

Hello, I’m Jon Niccum, entertainment editor for the Lawrence Journal-World, and I’ll be moderating the chat. Please welcome Rob Williams, executive producer of Rock Chalk Revue.

Rob Williams

Hello, I’m Rob Williams the Executive Producer for this year’s production of Rock Chalk Revue

Ceallach

Are tickets still available for tonight and Friday night’s show? If so, how do I purchase them?

Rob Williams

Tickets are still available for all three nights. There are only a limited number of tickets on Saturday. However, on Thursday and Friday there are still plenty of great seats still available. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Lied Center at 864-ARTS or at the Lied Center box office.

jeannied

Who benefits from the Rock Chalk Review ticket sales?

Rob Williams

All proceeds are donated directly to the United Way of Douglas County. It is nice becuase all of the money stays directly in the Lawrence community.

trombeck

How seriously do the greek houses take the competition involved in the revue?

Rob Williams

The competition is taken very seriously. All the shows put a lot of hard work and effort into their production making it a very professional show. In the end everyone would like to win awards. At the same time everyone has a lot of fun throughout the semester putting the final production together.

Moderator

Since you’ve been involved with this for three years, what’s the most hilarious thing you’ve ever seen happen at one of the shows?

Rob Williams

I think some of the jokes making fun of Missouri and K-State have been hilarious. Especially this time of year when the NCAA tournament is starting to gear up. This year one specific skit includes a Bob Huggins joke where he offers to drive the crew to a BBQ joint while slightly intoxicated. The audience normally responds in a very positive manner.

Moderator

How has the theme “Hawk Wild” been reflected in the sketches?

Rob Williams

The theme has been reflected anywhere from inclusion in mythically themed Hawk Wild! beasts to original song lyrics. All the shows have done a really nice job incorporating the theme into the production.

trombeck

What kind of process do you go through to make sure content is appropriate? I’m remembering the Haskell student protests of “Rock Chalk” back in the late ’90s…

Rob Williams

Each show is required to submit material to a panel for review. The panel meets several times to ensure all content is appropriate. The panel is comprised of University of Kansas Faculty, Staff, and other community leaders. Once all the material has been approved shows are then allowed to move into the production process. Throughout the year our Executive Director’s Jamie Lamb and Ryan Staub make sure the shows do not deviate from what has been approved for presentation. I think this process has really been a valued change for Rock Chalk.

Moderator

How did Rock Chalk Revue originally get started?

Rob Williams

Rock Chalk Revue began in 1949 when Roy Wonder created the idea for a campus wide variety show. The idea really took off when Wonder and a buddy sent a letter to the University Daily Kansan stating that KU stole the idea from K-State. Several KU students decided they were not going to let K-State have the upper hand and decided to see the idea come to light. Since then Rock Chalk Revue has been an annual production at the University of Kansas. Since 1991 the Revue has donated over $500,000 to the Douglas County United Way. A more complete history is available on our website at www.ku.edu/~rcr.

Moderator

Any particular highlights you can reveal regarding this year’s show?

Rob Williams

Well…we don’t want to spoil the fun. I think everyone will find something different that they enjoy. There is a good mix of ideas and creativity to be seen througout.

dhill00

Rob-
Any chance you can hook up an old friend with some free tickets?

Rob Williams

I’m afriad not. After all this is a philanthropic event and most of our fundraising efforts are the result of ticket sales.

Moderator

Thanks to Rob Williams for participating in the chat. Rock Chalk Revue begins at 7 p.m. today at the Lied Center.