Lights, camera, Singarama: “Movie Premiere” debuts amid area storms
Lipscomb’s 62nd annual Singarama opened Thursday night with this year’s theme: “Movie Premiere.” Families, students, faculty and alumni gathered in Collins Auditorium for the first of four shows this week.
For the first time in Singarama history, a 30-foot video wall was installed as part of the production. AI even made an appearance and swapped the faces of hosts and President Candice McQueen onto movie characters.
Before the performances began, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Brian Mast announced safety protocols for if a tornado warning occurred during the show. Mast explained the show would be stopped, and everyone in the auditorium would evacuate.
Hosts bring the energy
Singarama hosts Anna Morris, Ben Meador, Brock Loyd, Hannah Varghese, Hayden Cassetto and Kayla Dunn kicked off the show with “A Night to Remember” from High School Musical 3. The group gave a brief musical overview of film history and performed movie-inspired solos throughout the night.
RomCom
The first group to perform, RomCom, included members of Sigma Iota Delta and Delta Omega and was co-directed by Emily Powell and Austin Blair.
The story revolves around a couple. Sarah receives a job offer in Nashville, but her husband, Ben, is hesitant to move. The couple travels back in time with Ben’s parents, reliving memories together and hoping to fix their marriage.
The group included scenes referencing classic romance films and performed “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, “Hung Up” by Madonna, “You’re the One That I Want” from Grease, “Wouldn’t Change a Thing” from Camp Rock and “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce.
Murder Mystery
The second group, Murder Mystery, included members of Phi Nu, Pi Delta, Tau Phi, Sigma Alpha, Gamma Xi and Alpha Delta. Sarah Cooper and Hadley Hall co-directed the performance. The story revolves around two college students who investigate an unsolved murder of 1920s star Florence Fitzgerald while filming a ghost documentary.
The performance included three acts with “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics, “Shot Through the Heart” by Bon Jovi, “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga and “Feel the Rain on Your Skin” by Natasha Bedingfield.
Superhero
The final group of the night included members of Phi Sigma, Theta Psi and Gamma Lambda. Emily Richerson and Adam MacLeod co-directed the performance. The story follows Scarlett, a director working on a superhero film, as she struggles to step out of her famous father’s shadow. She faces the challenge of directing an action film while vain, veteran actor Chris and new but talented Jake battle over their differences.
The performance featured “Centuries” by Fall Out Boy, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” by ABBA, “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC, “Surface Pressure” from Encanto, “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito and “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John.
Students awards
Executive Producers Mike Fernandez, dean of the College of Entertainment and the Arts, and Landon Parrish, assistant dean of Student Engagement, explained the judging process.
“These judges all have a ballot sheet right now,” Parrish said. “They rank the shows on different categories. Categories include visual elements, choreography, entertainment, theme and vocals, and the judges are present tonight.”
Two student awards were presented: Emily Powell received the Williard Collins Award for student leadership in Singarama. Matthew Brown received the Coba Craig Award for representing Singarama spirit.
Ben Meador summed up this year’s Singarama: “Movies have a way of bringing us back to the things we love and the people that we cherish the most.”
Singarama will continue through Saturday. The overall winning group will be announced that evening.
Photos taken by Kennedy Scharfman.
