As Sing Song weekend dances closer, clubs, classes and production teams work to perfect their acts.

Sing Song is one of ACU’s most cherished traditions. Hosts and hostesses have been a part of the show since the early 60s and play a big role today. They are responsible for entertainment as the upstage is rotating.

Courtney McGaha has been the director of student productions and student promotions since March 2022. She oversees Sing Song.

In 1957, when Sing Song first began, there was only one, McGaha said.

“He would kind of be there and kind of introduce what’s gonna happen and this is what they’re singing and stuff like that,” McGaha said. “Maybe tell a joke or two.”

The next year, there were two hostesses.

“By the mid-60s, that’s when they kind of started throwing songs at them,” McGaha said. “So, by the late 60s we kind of have the format we do now.”

McGaha said they now have an announcer introduce each act, so the hosts and hostesses can focus on their responsibility of entertaining the crowd.

Auditions for the role take place in October. The students – ranging from sophomores to juniors – come to the audition with two songs prepared.

“They have to be completely different genres, one has to be slow, one has to be fast,” McGaha said. “Because we want to see their range.”

From there, those invited to callbacks are challenged with brand-new song material and choreography. The final students are exceptional performers and a group that blends well together.

As the students prepare for the show days, they commit 8-10 hours each week to rehearsals and private lessons with vocal coaches.

McGaha said she enjoys the sweet process as the group grows closer and creates friendships.

Last year was a rare case: the group were all friends or knew each other. However, this year most of the students did not know each other, McGaha said.

“Seeing them kind of open up and start to be funny, and you know, roast each other in the middle of a rehearsal and stuff,” McGaha said. “It’s just been a really fun time and a really fun process.”

This is why, prior acquaintances or not, McGaha said she encourages anyone to try out.

“Even if you don’t know anybody, it doesn’t matter. They’re all going through this thing together,” McGaha said. “Hearing each other every night and, you know, being each other’s biggest cheerleaders and supporters and it’s really special.”

Host Will Vogelsang, senior Finance major from McKinney, did not know any of the other hosts going into auditions this year. Vogelsang said he accredits the process to making good friends.

Mary-Claire Gunn, senior Kinesiology pre-occupational therapy major from Waco, has been involved in Sing Song acts in the past and is one of the Sing Song Hostesses this year.

Gunn also said the group has grown closer together.

“Besides Ansley and I, like none of us really knew each other,” Gunn said. “That’s been really fun too, just like getting an opportunity to make friends with people that I don’t normally really cross paths with.”

Hostess Ansley Brown is a senior interior design major from Franklin, Tennessee. Brown and Gunn are housemates.

Fun is important for upstage acts and host/hostess acts; however, it is easier to have a good time as a host/hostess because there less competitive aspects, Gunn said.

“It’s just nice that there’s no expectations from anyone,” Gunn said. “We just get to go out there and perform something that we’ve worked really hard on and that we’re proud of and we just have a good time.”

Brown said the team is excited for show night.

“There is no outcome that we will be slightly disappointed in,” Brown said.

Sing Song show days are Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at PurplePass.com.

As Sing Song weekend inches closer, the group has their final rehearsals together.

“We’re already pretty ready, so I feel like that will help just solidify what we’ve already done,” Vogelsang said.

Gunn said she feels grateful to have been a part of Sing Song this year – especially because Gunn’s mother was also a Sing Song hostess.

“It’s just been such a good experience for us, and I just I just feel so blessed and privileged,” Gunn said. “It’s been so much fun. That’s all, we’re just having a great time.”