By Liz Spano, Student Reporter
Set-up crews spent both Saturday and Sunday preparing Moody Coliseum for the 53rd annual Sing Song production, Believe.
A team of about 50 people worked from Saturday at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday night to transform Moody into a concert venue, said Tom Craig, director of Student Productions.
He said the preperation included everything from covering the floor to setting the stage and installing concert quality lights and sound systems.
The stage will remain in Moody until after the performances this weekend.
“I think it’s going to be one of the best shows we’ve ever seen,” Craig said. “We have a great team and place this year to make Sing Song happen.”
More than 1,500 students are involved in this year’s production, Craig said. That list includes people in both upstage and downstage acts, as well as in the student production staff. Craig said more people are participating than any past Sing Song shows.
Fifteen class and social club acts will take the stage, and four student dance teams will perform, including SHADES, Swing Cats, Milonga and Virtuous African Heritage Sisterhood.
Craig said he has seen more talent than ever before in this year’s cast, and he anticipates “wowing” the crowd with the talent in this year’s Sing Song. He said the set-up crew did not encounter any setbacks while preparing for the production, but it is a challenge to work with more than 1,000 students and keep them healthy, while many students on campus are becoming ill.
Brooke Braddock, sophomore broadcast journalism major from Houston who is participating in the sophomore class act, agreed that preparation for Sing Song has worn her down.
“Sing Song definitely has been time-consuming and sometimes really tiring,” Braddock said.
She said she and other students have been practicing regularly for the past three weeks and will be preparing every night this week for the shows Friday and Saturday.
“Although it’s been a big commitment, I have made so many friends, and the leaders are very encouraging,” Braddock said. “I really think this is going to be the best Sing Song yet.”
Sing Song festivities will begin Wednesday with a host and hostess preview in Chapel. Performances begin Thursday at 7 p.m. with the preview show. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and general admission tickets can be purchased at the door for $10.
Weekend performances are Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., and the final show will be at 8 p.m. Craig said none of the weekend shows have sold out, but the better seats are running out.
