‘Pitch Perfect LIVE!’ was aca-awesome

“Pitch Perfect LIVE!” — CUPAL’s Spring 2026 Special Project — gave back-to-back a cappella performances of select songs and scenes from the first two “Pitch Perfect” movies in the Lerner Wang Pavilion on April 18 and left audiences aca-amazed.

Photo provided by Emile Paxton

By Julieta Skallman

May 2, 2026

“Pitch Perfect LIVE!” was more than just an a cappella performance of “Pitch Perfect” songs — the rotating cast of the show also performed some of the most memorable scenes from the movies. Take the opening of the show: a rendition of the singing-in-the-shower scene. Kasey Hernandez-Sexton (BC ’26), co-director and music director, quietly walked onstage as Beca singing “Titanium” by David Guetta, when Mia Shih (BC ’26), co-director and choreographer, playing Chloe, excitedly interrupted her. Hernandez-Sexton gasped, capturing Beca’s shock from the movie when her time in Barden University’s communal showers was interrupted. Following the scene from the movie pretty much word for word, Hernandez-Sexton incredulously asked, “You know David Guetta?” and Shih nodded and solemnly replied, “That song’s my jam. My lady jam … It really builds.” After some convincing, Beca agreed to sing with Chloe, even though they were in the shower, and Hernandez-Sexton and Shih harmonized.

Columbia University Performing Arts League (CUPAL) hosts one Special Project every semester and this semester it was “Pitch Perfect LIVE!” The criteria for these Special Projects, purposefully kept very loose to allow for creativity, according to the CUPAL website, are that productions are “appropriate to the Lerner Black Box Theatre, workshop style processes, [and] projects that do not fall under the auspices of established performing arts organizations.”

“Pitch Perfect LIVE!” had two consecutive performances in the Lerner Wang Pavilion on April 18, 2026 at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. and, following the chronology of the movies, hit just about every big song from “Pitch Perfect” and “Pitch Perfect 2.”

After “Titanium,” auditions to join a cappella groups at Barden University began. In order to emulate the montage style of the 2012 cult classic, three microphones were set up and a group of performers started singing 16 bars of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” Once auditions were over, Caroline Cahill (SEAS ’27) ran onstage, playing Beca, and sang the iconic “Cups” with a Columbia University dining hall paper cup.

Aca-initiation night followed auditions, and, along with a line-up of Barden Bellas, the audience was asked to lift their right hands and make the same promise as the Bellas — thus inducting the entire Lerner Wang Pavilion.

It wouldn’t be a “Pitch Perfect” performance without a riff off. The only one performed that night was the very first riff off in the movies, featuring a new cast of Treblemakers, Bellas, and one aca-person suffering from “the dangers of medical marijuana,” recreating the infamous movie scene. For “Pitch Perfect” fans such as myself, seeing a riff off live was a bucket list moment, and the cast harmoniously rendered the iconic first riff off of the movies.

The performance transitioned from the first movie to the second movie with Emily Lepow (BC ’27) playing Gail Abernathy-McKadden and Beau Gantz (CC ’28) playing John Smith, singing the Universal theme a cappella. “Pitch Perfect” fans know that “Pitch Perfect 2” starts with the infamous Kennedy Center performance, where the Bellas performed for President Obama’s birthday. The very same Kennedy Center performance in which Fat Amy hangs from the ceiling, performing her heart out, and her pants rip open. And there was nothing anyone could do. And Fat Amy had decided to go commando. But, in a stroke of genius, none of this was actually happening onstage. It was all narrated by Gail and John’s commentary, and their voices became more and more agitated as they narrated, “Oh, she’s turning. She’s turning! Brace yourselves!” Even a voice from the back of the Wang Pavilion called out, as Fat Amy, “Avert your eyes! Or take it all in! Make your choice!”

The Special Project itself requested audience participation — like during the induction ceremony — but the audience was engaged and responsive even without prompting. In the last number of the night, the Bellas’ performance at the World Championships of A Cappella, the audience responded to the song “Flashlight” by turning their own phone flashlights on and waving them in the air.

Ultimately, “Pitch Perfect LIVE!” was such a fun night because it did not take itself too seriously. It was a love letter to the “Pitch Perfect” world and a reminder that, at least for one night, there was nothing more important than the perilous world of collegiate a cappella.