http://luminationnetwork.com/covid-halts-57th-annual-singarama-participants-discuss-informal-staging-relationships-established/Singarama, a beloved Lipscomb tradition, will look quite different this year. The biggest change is that there won’t be a live audience. Recently other similar social events have run without these same regulations.
Last year there was no Singarama at all, so many students are grateful for the opportunity to get a show at all. However, others are disappointed in the lack of consistency for all Lipscomb events.
Kelvin Kelley, a director of community life, cited several major changes to the event this year.
“We are recording it and then are going to send it out,” said Kelley. “There won’t be a live audience actually there for singarama this year.”
The video should be released sometime in late April, right before finals week. The next change Kelley discussed was concerning the number of students involved.
“There are less people on stage for the songs,” said Kelley. “Typically shows can range from having 70-100 people for a dance number, and this year we backed all the way down to only allowing 25-30 to participate on stage.”
Kelley seemed to find silver linings wherever he could. Although the music will have to be pre-recorded since the singers will have to wear masks on stage, Kelley sees the bright side.
“I’m excited to see what we can do with the recording. We’re trying to do some interesting things …that hopefully accommodate for the lack of being in person.”
Allie McGill, a Senior and Singarama choreographer, didn’t see things quite the same way.
“[A] frustrating difference is for Singarama we are not allowed to sing on stage and are required to wear masks the whole performance, while the same rules did not apply for the cowboy show.”
McGill found it unfair that other Lipscomb events weren’t forced to abide by the same rules.
“It has been very frustrating to see the inconsistency of what is allowed for different events. The cowboy show was able to have an audience and I wish Singarama would have been allowed to have a student audience,” said McGill.
“I have put a lot of hard work into our show and it is disappointing that my friends and family are not going to be able to watch it in person.”
The variance of protocols has been visible in recent weeks. Will this be a wake-up call for Lipscomb officials to set some kind of standard for students or is normalcy too close ahead?
Photo Courtesy of Ben Davis.
Check out previous Singarama coverage here.