By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor

Waco Hall was packed to the brim Thursday evening with families and friends with who showed up to cheer on the eight Greek organizations performing in Pigskin Revue 2025.

Preceding the grand show, the homecoming court nominees promenaded across the stage as they were announced, dressed to the nines in silk evening gowns, glittering mermaid-shaped trains and tuxedos.

After a round of applause, the 2024 king and queen, Langley Cerovich and Anna Kate Elkins made an appearance to crown the court’s princes and princesses. Next, the two placed dazzling crowns on the heads of Fate senior Jacob Limerick and doctoral candidate Sylvia Jones, this year’s homecoming king and queen.

In between acts, Dr. Blair Browning cracked jokes about the White House Ballroom, movie sequels and tariffs, also working “6-7” into one blurb, leaving no room for a dip in the crowd’s excitement for the show. This year’s Pigskin Revue marks Browning’s 18th year hosting the show.

Starting off strong with the third place act from 2025 All-University Sing was Delta Delta Delta’s “When Pigs Fly.” The story is exactly what it sounds like — a group of sparkly pink pigs trying to expand their horizons through a planned out flight turned tumultuous crash. Maybe pigs can’t fly after all.

The opening backstage vocals were a little muffled, but the soloists soon sprang onto the stage with lively singing. I adored the shiny pink flouncy skirts, but their blue gingham counterparts were giving Dorothy more than farm girl. And I dearly enjoyed the Elton John double whammy songs, but “Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road” made the theme even more confusing.

Now, the use of spotlights and shadow? Phenomenal. The set and lighting gave the act a clear storyline and added drama to each scene. The cute and playful choreography, a tad offbeat at moments, but hey, Tri Delta said it best: you “can’t stop the P – I – G!”

The only pairing of the night, brought to the stage by Pi Beta Phi and Phi Kappa Chi, told a familiar story of a game most have played before. Blue and pink players danced across the stage, performing complex maneuvers like partner lifts and flips in Pi Phi Chi’s “That’s Life!”

This board game got a Baylor twist, prominently promoted by the intricately painted Life-Baylor fusion backdrop, featuring McLane Stadium in the distance and other local landmarks paired with a phenomenal set of playing cards and the spinner, determining the fate of the players.

Crisp vocals from chorus serenaded the audience as the players’s plot developed, deciding to choose “God’s Way” over “My Way.” The act wouldn’t have been complete without Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.”

Overall, this was a very fast-paced act, in which the pairing utilized their space well, executing the choreography without making it look like they were crammed onstage like sardines.

The curtain rose on a dim, candle-lit stage to the haunting tune of “Jolene” for Alpha Chi Omega’s “Let The Eat Cake!” The storyline featured a battle between peasants and aristocrats, orchestrated by the french queen Marie Antoinette seated on her throne in front of a realistic Versailles backdrop.

I wish I could say I thought the peasants fit the part, but the brown-smudged faces paired with mostly light, intact dresses made for a confusing combo. However, the queen’s femme fatale appearance matched with her crooning vocals and solo riffs proved enough of a contrast.

The choreography here was lively, yet almost jazzy thanks to sleek footwork and fankicks from these ladies. Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” brought the act to a close, a fitting and dramatic ending, not showy or exciting, but appropriate for the storyline.

A sunny day of delivering the post turned into a case of the lost letter in Kappa Kappa Gamma’s “Sweet Letter O’ Mine,” which of course included “Please Mr. Postman.” How could they not?

First off, props to the Kappas for, well, their props — a set of glittery heart letters and bedazzled mailboxes. The vocals in this act were pitchy to put it plainly, but a strong chorus revived the musicality of the act and song choices like “It’s Raining Mail [Men]” were spot on.

Another dealmaker were the costumes. The frills on the dresses and pinstripes on the deliverers were more than darling, and the shorter dresses allowed for the legs to have their moment to shine, showcasing ruffled socks and precise footwork.

Anticipatory applause queued for the next act after the intermission, the boys who took home second place for their act, “Underneath the Tree,” Alpha Tau Omega.

Red and blue-fitted nutcrackers came to life after the man upstairs starts to snore, and man, do they tear up the town — I mean the living room — with dancing, playing and singing. With this act, Christmas came early, giving viewers everything to be desired — a healthy dose of antics and tricks from these nutcrackers and coordination that resonated with the toy soldier theme.

Throughout the act, the energy was through the roof with a strong unified choral voice. The costumes were just as flawless and accurate as they were at Sing. These ATOs genuinely looked like they were having the time of their little wooden lives.

Zeta Tau Alpha’s “Music Box Breakout” featured that nostalgic jewelry box that every little girl knew and loved in their childhood, but this one contained dozens of pink and white leotard-clad dancers. These primas tossed the graceful ballerina act to the side to rebel against their evil showmaster and escape their music box and dance for themselves.

Costume-wise, I was hoping to see pink tights for the ballerinas, but was satisfied with the flats on their feet that looked straight from the dance store. In several songs, duet vocals were drowned out, but the villainess soloist provided redemption with her undeniable set of pipes, making the plot twist sting all the more once she revealed her cruel intentions in the dancers sang their version of “Mother Knows Best.”

Lastly, you can’t go wrong with dance lingo in lyrics. “Dancing with Myself” was the perfect choice to ring in the ballet-themed revolution.

“Night at the Exhibit” by Kappa Omega Tau showed what happens when the zookeepers go home for the day — the penguins have a Broadway-worthy dance party and “Go[ing] the Distance” to take a waddle outside the cage.

There’s a reason I dubbed this group “Best Costumes” for Sing. KOT’s costumes were not just accurate to these adorable Antarctic birds — they were innovative, using a tuxedo pattern for the white belly, orange socks and loafers for the flippers and bowler caps and bowties for the cherry on top. As the songs cycled through, they waddled clumsily and slid across the stage on their bellies just like real penguins. The energy, expressions and emotions made this one to remember.

No doubt about it — Chi Omega took home the win for their act, “Back On Track,” for more reasons than one. Their almost uncannily sharp choreography; all-out set, picturing a scenic mountainside backdrop and a movable “Chi-O Express” train with a working headlight; energetic and melodious vocals; thoughtful song choice and cute, classy costumes straight out of a storybook made the act a great winner.

But why this act was burned into my brain in the best way was the unity these ladies embodied. Throughout the act, they were one — vocally, choreographically and energetically. No notes.