On par with NBC’s SNL, MVSNL9 was worth missing the real deal for 

As the lights dimmed and the house manager, senior Christian Lei, walked onto stage to get the show started, I couldn’t help but think—this better be good. After waiting half an hour for the people who just couldn’t seem to find their seats (also known as the people who were trying to cheat their way into good seats), the Jan. 23 show of MVSNL9 began at 8 p.m. — half-an-hour delayed. 14 sketches, music guest act by Brown Sound and intermission? Oh boy, it was going to be a long night.

Though I didn’t break into a song about it, within the first few minutes of the opening my nervousness turned into excitement. The show immediately grabbed everyone’s attention with the brilliant spoof about the stereotypical life at MVHS. The exaggerated mockery of all the little things we notice everyday such as the rivalry between DECA and FBLA, the jabs at our precious GPA’s, and our emotional attachment to grades started the show with the audience essentially laughing at themselves.

As any immaculately constructed show, MVSNL was planned flawlessly with a strong beginning, a passable middle and a killer ending. To cut the monotony of the passable sketches, musical guest Brown Sound was featured. This band sure got the audience moving — either to the front of the stage for the illicit moshpit, or outside for a breath of fresh air.

Though SNL mocks pop culture, requiring its audience to possess worldly knowledge about politics or pop culture, MVHS’ production also included sketches practically everyone can enjoy. The highlights of the show were the "Siamese Twins", "Roomies", "Flight Attendants" and "Girlfriend Voices" sketches that had us thinking about the moment when we’ve experienced a similar exaggerated scenario. We’ve all had to share the awkward space with the one friend who gets the short end of the stick on a date, the annoyingly clingy roommate, the painful flight attendants who do everything but attend to our needs, or the whipped boyfriends.

The "Save Broadway" and "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketches were absolutely brilliant if you knew enough to understand all the clever references about musicals, reality tv stars, and politics. The ending punchlines did everything to add the extra laugh attack to the scenes, with the fiddler on the roof and the yo mama wagers.

The overall presentation of the entire show was impeccable. From the lighting to the props scripts full of punchlines, there was an air of professionalism. The acting was natural and the team effort showed on stage. It was interesting to see some friends and acquaintances acting in a completely different light, and some acting just the way they always do.

Physics teacher Jim Birdsong’s hosting and acting skills put the cherry on top for all of the night’s performances. His portrayal of the ever-so-annoying Penelope in the sketch "Penelope Traffic School" was done with such perfection that I felt like personally throwing his smart alack character off stage and away into a far away soundproof room. The fact that he was in a blonde wig and a dress only added to the hilarity.

MVSNL9 brought the school together, on-stage as well as the audience. It was two hours of senseless laughter about everyday occurrences. It was two hours being with friends and peers. It was two hours when every audience member had a chance to sit at the table where people cared about life, not just about grades.

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