On the night before the Homecoming football game, fifteen men came together to dance, juggle and flaunt everything they had for one of the most sacred titles on campus: Mr. Georgetown. In front of a packed audience in Gaston Hall, Mr. Georgetown marked another year in the books as the Homecoming tradition that students simply cannot miss.
Mr. Georgetown is a satirical pageant show hosted by the Georgetown Program Board that flips the script on pageantry expectations. Clubs on campus are invited to nominate a male-identifying senior to represent them at the show for a chance to win the coveted crown. With its first show in 2005, Mr. Georgetown has remained a mainstay of Homecoming events, delivering a hilarious and fun show full of laughs every year.
For this year’s opening number, Mr. Georgetown transported the audience to a beachy paradise. Decked out in aloha shirts, the contestants burst out in a lively performance full of beach-ready songs that fit right into the show’s tropical theme inspired by Disney’s “Teen Beach Movie.” The contestants flew through dizzying formations to songs from Katy Perry’s “California Girls” to K-pop group TWICE’s “This is For.” It was a wonderfully dynamic introduction to a vibrantly colorful night.
After the opening number, the show’s hosts, Sophie Maretz (CAS ’26) and Anna Dewey (CAS ’26), introduced the rest of the night’s proceedings. The show featured four distinct competitions: spiritwear, talent, trivia and interviews. Eliminations would occur after the spiritwear and talent portions of the show, while the trivia and interviews would be used to determine the final winner.
As the contestants were hustled off the stage to prepare for the show’s spiritwear competition, a cappella group The Phantoms and hip-hop dance crew Groove Theory took the stage. The Phantoms, led by Mr. Phantoms Wyatt Nako (CAS ’26), sang a witty ode to Mr. Georgetown, their voices ringing beautifully throughout the hall, without losing their teasing smiles. Afterward, Groove Theory delivered an undeniably sharp performance, each dancer’s step aligning in perfect unison. These additional performances were nice intermissions, an engaging pause as the contestants got ready for the rest of the show.
The following spiritwear portion marked the creativity and commitment to comedy that is common to the contestants of Mr. Georgetown. While some were decked out completely with club garb, such as the well-known greens of Mr. Escape Raghav Chutani (SFS ’26), others went for a more do-it-yourself approach. Notably, Mr. Hoyas for Recovery Cameron Daly (CAS ’26) flew in on fairy wings as Narcan, a nasal spray, while Mr. Phantoms returned on stage as a purple teletubby with fascinating floorwork.
However, nothing was as entertaining as the show’s talent portion. Ranging from rap to voice impressions to a shirtless saxophone performance, the talent was diverse, and possibly too much in certain cases. Again, contestants displayed their creativity with their talent choices. Mr. Nomadic Theatre Henry Ren (CAS ’26) aimed to set a new world record as he ate three whole oranges to the cheers of the other contestants. With a singular ad for Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society that paid homage to Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC Theaters commercial, Mr. Mask and Bauble Grady McDonough (MSB ’26) walked out as Kidman, taking the applause before simply exiting the stage. Other performances ran purely on heart and passion, such as Mr. Pep Band David Yang (CAS ’26) and Mr. Outdoor Education Peter Sukstorf’s (SFS ’26) musical performances, with Yang performing a rock version of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” and Sukstorf performing an original piece based on his experience in Alaska.
Following the performances, Maretz and Dewey announced the competition’s top five: Mr. GWOW Tomo Nozaki (CAS ’26), Mr. Jawani Saatvik Kaul (SFS ’26), Yang, Sukstorf and Ren. The five faced off in the trivia round, where the hosts’ chemistry and charm shone through as they traded banter with the contestants. These interactions continued into the interview round where the contestants had the chance to get personal with the audience.
In a heartfelt session, many of the contestants reminisced on their time at Georgetown, emphasizing the community they found in their respective club spaces. Ren talked about how his time in Nomadic Theatre brought him out of his shell, encouraging him to move outside his comfort zone. Kaul also talked of how he found community at Georgetown. As a member of Jawani, Kaul shared a memorable image of his feet that had stepped into the many spaces on campus, representing the many memories and work he had put in over the years with the team. For his hard work, Kaul took the crown for Mr. Georgetown at the end of the show, with the other contestants lifting him up on their shoulders.
The nostalgic sentiments of these final five are why Mr. Georgetown is so special. All throughout the night, the contestants let loose on stage, full-on committed to entertaining on this one night of performance. From that freedom comes the fun and hilarity that is a staple of Mr. Georgetown. Indeed, the best moments were when the audience and contestants let loose, laughed and came together — with Gaston Hall becoming as loud as it could ever be.
