Wharton Follies
Open-knowledge reference entry
Wharton Follies is a student organization in the MBA program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania that puts on an annual amateur musical theater production. Started in 1977, it is both one of the largest clubs and highest profile organizations at Wharton, staging one of the largest productions of its kind at any professional school. Over the years, Follies has been transformed into a Broadway-level production boasting a six-figure budget and with successive producers and directors building on their predecessor's accomplishments. Follies typically features prominent members of the administration (e.g., dean, vice dean, and admissions director), popular faculty members, and classmates. The show typically makes fun of the Wharton experience, other business schools, and students who have made a name for themselves. One student said that part of the appeal of Follies is that it “show[s] off student talent that you wouldn't otherwise be able to witness.”
Follies Videos
In addition to a live stage show featuring the school's most talented students, Follies writes, shoots, and edits its own Saturday Night Live-style video features for public consumption. The videos treat typical business school topics in a humorous fashion. Recent topics have included "The Evolution of an MBA," "Drunken Case History," "MBAs Assemble a Malm Bed," "Jawn of the Dead," and "Professors Read Mean Reviews." The last, which is a take on Jimmy Kimmel Live's "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets," is especially notable, with over 200,000 views.
Past Performances
2026 Til Debt Do Us Part
2025 Once Upon an MBA
2024 Dial M for MGMT
2023 21 Walnut Street
2022 Follies' 11
2021 Wizard of Lolz
2020 Follies Angels
2018 WTV: Wharton Network
2017 Saved by the Follies
2016 Back to the Follies (40th Annual Wharton Follies)
2015 The Huntsman Hangover
2014 The Book of Wharton
2013 It's a Whartonful Life
2012 How to Succeed in Business School Without Really Trying
2011 Assets and Liabilities: The Parable of Your Personal Brand
2010 The 34th Annual Follies Awards: It's a Dishonor Just to be Nominated
2009 The Trojan Wharton: A Greek Comedy About a Financial Tragedy
2008 A Midsemester Night's Dream
2007 D’Anjani Code
2006 Springtime for Harker
2005 Fast Times at Huntsman High
2004 Whatchu Talkin’ Bout Anjani?
2003 Dial 5 For Wharton
2002 Crouching Market Hidden Offer
2001 All's Fair in Love and Wharton
2000 The VC Who Loved Me...
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