Creative team and cast of MAD The Musical take a bow on opening night

The creative team and cast of MAD The Musical take a bow on opening night — a triumphant close to SMU Arts Festval 2025’s six-week celebration of youth and imagination. The festival reached its peak with the premiere of MAD The Musical, staged from 26 to 28 September at the Drama Centre Theatre. Marking SMU’s first-ever original musical, the production was built on an original script conceptualised by Jo Tan, featured original songs by Jimmy Ye, and was directed and choreographed by George Chan and Andy Benjamin Cai respectively. Bringing together students, alumni, and even staff, MAD was more than a stage production—it was a coming‑of‑age moment for a new generation of storytellers. Blurring the boundaries between past and present, institution and imagination, the musical struck a resonant chord, with its anthem Mad About quickly emerging as a crowd favourite for its layered harmonies and stirring message of passion and conviction.