Need a change of scenery after the grind of midterms? If you’re a broke college student and you can’t afford a plane ticket, check out this year’s Waa-Mu show, Skylines, which opens Friday at Cahn Auditorium.

Skylines, like every year’s Waa-Mu show, is a student-written musical revue, and this time fancifully imagines the lives of new Northwestern graduates as they strike out in the big cities of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Aspiring composers and lyricists started last May with just a premise, and one year later we’re looking at about two-and-a-half quality hours of polished, cast and choreographed music for a full-pit orchestra and a big stage of voices.

“I don’t think there’s anything else like it in America,” says Dominic Missimi, who has been directing the Waa-Mu show for the past 15 years. Encouraging excellence in young artists is almost enough of a reason to go in itself.

However, if you’re not convinced yet, here’s another reason: It’s a great show. A preview Tuesday night revealed strong musical numbers, matched with engaging voices, tight dancing and an almost distractingly attractive set that make watching this show genuine fun.

Here’s the disclaimer, though: If you don’t really like theater, you may want to reconsider. Waa-Mu can be a bit of a tribute to musical theater at its most musically theatrical, and those not intimately acquainted with the scores of Funny Girl and Jesus Christ Superstar will miss some jokes. Also, the revue format means that it’s essentially one long medley with no plot. While this is easier for a large team of student writers to tackle, those who need a story and distinct characters will find it off-putting.

If you can get over those two things, though, there’s not much else to dislike about Skylines. Even in dress rehearsal, the cast’s energy and obvious love for what they do were remarkable and well-channeled. Once these kids get a full audience, they’re going to be electric.

Of particular note were the excellent compositions by Dan Green, a Music senior who contributed for his fourth and last time this year. His piece “The Architect” gave a lyrical break from the flashy dance numbers, and the catchy, upbeat “Purple Coast” was a blast, particularly if its suggestion that to succeed after college all you “gotta do is say [you're] from NU” turns out to be accurate.

Also watch for Will Buck, a Music sophomore whose Waa-Mu contributions last year and this year have stood out with a distinctive style that never sounds like generic musical theater. My favorite piece of his in this show was “Falling Up,” a collaboration with Communication freshman lyricist Andi Alhadeff, and showcased by an impressive solo from Communication senior Lauren Rankin.

If you’re a senior and have never seen a Waa-Mu show, you should consider it your Northwestern duty to attend. Sappy as it can sometimes be, Skylines is all about moving off into life and leaving your collegiate friends and home behind, and this feel-good show’s sincere about this bittersweet process.

Transitions take place behind the scenes, too: Missimi said that while the outgoing seniors make this a special group, the incoming freshmen also form an important part of what the Waa-Mu tradition means. “The continuum just keeps going on and on,” he said.

Skylines will show in Cahn Auditorium at 8 p.m. May 2 to 4 and 7 to 11, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Student tickets cost $11 and can be purchased online, at the door or by calling the box office at (847) 491-7282.