No Refund Theatre blesses us before finals with their last show of the semester: “We Are the Tigers,” a musical by Preston Max Allen, directed by Rayann Patterson. A large-cast musical of massive proportions, NRT ends the big ’25 with a bang.

The story begins with a sleepover for a high school cheerleading team. Eight “teammates,” all with conflicting personalities and a boatload of snarky comments to throw at each other whenever possible. Each character stands out and carries their own arc as we move along, and each actress holds their own with the rest. They’re a team, but being a team isn’t easy — especially in high school.

When the show began, I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure if this was my kind of thing. It presented itself in the realm of “High School Musical” or something, with catty arguments and problems that mostly disappear after graduation. Plus, I can’t relate to a girls’ sleepover, obviously. But, I was happily proven wrong.

This sleepover setup quickly descends into chaos, as girls begin to disappear from the group. A killer is afoot! Is it one of them, a rival, or just some Mike Myers psycho? Who’s to say?

When this murder mystery begins to twist up in high school drama, it still manages to play out in unexpected ways. Through the whole play, I was under the impression that I knew exactly who it was, because it was “obvious.” It was not.

Everyone in the production clearly put in the effort to make themselves stand out, which is surely difficult with ten characters. Straight from the program, we’ve got: the pizza girl, the partier, the ‘Olympian’, the mascot, the freshman, the boyfriend, the prom princess, the captain, the purity ring, and the cynic. These nicknames give you an idea, but the characters and their portrayals go far deeper, and everyone stands out uniquely.

“We Are the Tigers” is a fun, lively, and often hilarious musical that keeps you on your toes as much as it makes you tap your feet. Highly recommend. If you’re interested, the show is open in Forum 111 December 4-6 at 8 p.m.