Moody Coliseum construction delays have moved Sing Song off campus for the second year in a row and the production will now be at the Taylor County Expo Center.
This is the 66th year of Sing Song and this year will take place on April 1-2. Last year’s production took place at the Paramount Theatre with smaller acts due to COVID-19 restrictions. Student Productions manager Courtney McGaha said this year will allow up to 100 students to perform for each act.
“We want as many students as possible to be in it and to discover that love of Sing Song,” McGaha said. “When you do it and you get it, you get it and if you’ve never gotten to experience it, even if we’re not in Moody, this is the year to experience it.”
McGaha is in her second year of directing Sing Song after taking over for Dr. Nick Tatum, who is now a professor at George Mason University. McGaha was the Upstage Coordinator for three productions and the Assistant Director for the past two. McGaha said this year’s Sing Song will be what students remembered it being from past years.
“There’s going to be those chances to build community you wouldn’t get to build community with and to perform in a way that you can’t do anywhere else outside of ACU,” McGaha said. “To sing even if you don’t think you can sing, and not feel like you have a bad voice because everybody around you is singing with the same joy.”
Jackson Eades, one of this year’s Sing Song hosts, said the six hosts and hostesses will perform a medley of songs from the 1960s, and each will sing a solo in between acts. Eades will sing Grow As We Go by Ben Platt and said this position is something he’s dreamed of since he first came to Sing Song his sophomore year of high school.
“I’ve been looking forward to the possibility of doing this for a long time,” Eades said. “I’m just so excited and thankful and honored to have the opportunity to get to perform with such a great group of people and singers.”
Eades started off in the Foundations acapella group his freshman year and is now a host for Sing Song in his final year. Eades, a senior youth and family ministry major from Bourne, is a host alongside the following students.
- Caleb Crisp, senior art major from Abilene
- Rose-Lee Alliston, senior theatre major from Bedlington, Northumberland, England
- Ryan Young, junior music-teaching and voice-all level major from Haslet
- McKenzie Losher, junior communication major from Sunnyvale
- Hannah McLean, junior international studies in early child and elementary development major from Abilene
This year’s Sing Song has not established any COVID-19 restrictions and will feature up to 100 people on stage for each act. The show officially started recruiting in October when McGaha started interviewing potential student directors. This year’s student directors are the following.
- Jackson Scott, senior communication major from Keller
- Riley Fisher, senior theatre major from Abilene
- Sam Onstead, junior financial management major from Sugar Land
- Eboni Wescott, junior communication major from Dallas
- Caroline McKnight, junior communication major from Pittsburg, Kansas
“I know a lot of people who have been drained of energy and have been hoping for something to look forward to,” Eades said. “I hope first and foremost that they look to God for hope in that, and I hope that this event kickstarts some energy and joy for those people who have been needing it for a long time.”
McGaha said Sing Song tickets will be on sale soon with the shows taking place on Apr. 1-2 at the Taylor County Expo Center.
The themes for each group are:
- Alpha Kai Omega- Scrabble
- Delta Theta- Ice Cream
- Frater Sodalis- Batman
- Freshman Purple- Sailors
- Freshman White- Cereal
- Gamma Sigma Phi- Janitors
- GATA- Smokey the Bear
- Juniors- Silverware
- Ko Jo Kai- Tooth Fairies
- Pi Kappa- Cowboys
- Seniors- Summer Camp
- Sigma Theta Chi- Bridesmaids
- Sophomores- Willy Wonka
- Sub-T 16- Farm
- Tri Kappa Gamma- Waitresses
