by Emily Snell | Mar 9, 2012 | News Slider
“All Hands on Deck,” directed by Morgan Mathis, was announced Saturday night as winner of the sweepstakes competition for the 49th annual Singarama. After winning the music contest Friday night and the staging contest Saturday afternoon, “All Hands on Deck” also won the sweepstakes title for accumulating the most total points throughout the four Singarama performances. The cast was comprised of social clubs Phi Sigma, Tau Phi, Gamma Xi and friends. “We were all really excited,” said Brennan McNeil, sailor in the show. “We are really happy- we put a lot of work in. Winning doesn’t mean it’s the best show; it just reflects all the work we put in.” McNeil’s love interest in the show, Kelly Dean, also said the group’s hard work was what pushed them over the top. “We literally worked day and night on the show,” Dean said. “The hard work and effort paid off because we got the big win.” Some of the show’s songs included “Hard Knock Life,” “I Can Transform Ya,” “Mercy” and “Happy Days.” The group told the story of sailors called upon to rescue a missing ship, but there was a catch – most of the crew had never set sail before. From backwoods country folks to Italian gangsters, the diverse cast kept the audience laughing. There was even a line of dialogue referencing High Rise’s water problems. “The Land of Dreams,” directed by Cayla Cleaver, won Thursday night’s theme contest during the 49th annual Singarama kickoff performance. Cleaver, said she was “extremely surprised” when she found out that her cast won. “My knees almost gave out actually,” she said. “I was...
by Emily Snell | Feb 16, 2012 | News Slider
The annual spring chaos known as Singarama is underway as students have less than one month left to prepare for the big show. The production’s directors said their groups are quickly trying to write scripts, learn dances, paint sets and finalize plans for the March 8-10 event. Singarama, which traditionally has occurred after spring break, was moved up this year to help students focus on their studies during the last few weeks of school. As usual, the show will feature three groups, and this spring’s theme is “Air, Land and Sea.” Cayla Cleaver, director of Land, said she thinks having the show earlier in the year is a good thing, even though it does present challenges. “It definitely puts us in a time crunch because none of us knew who the directors were until we got back from Christmas break,” Cleaver, a junior in marketing, said. “But I kind of like it being before spring break so that everybody can stay focused.” Morgan Mathis, director for the Sea group, shared similar feelings. “At first we were kind of nervous about that, but it has helped because I feel like we’ve been a lot more on top of things,” Mathis, a senior from Chattanooga, said. “People are just diving in and getting a lot of work done. It’s a challenge, but it’s also kind of motivating.” Air director, Emily Sullivan, a social work major, said even though the change in timing has added “a lot of pressure,” the best aspect of Singarama remains the same. “Singarama brings random people together,” she said. “It’s a great way to form new friendships....
