Singarama 2026 takes audience on an epic roadtrip
On Thursday night, Collins Auditorium opened its doors to the 63rd Singarama. The show focused on the theme ‘Life is a Highway’ and led its audience down the road of life. Over the course of three shows, student participants gave their all in an effort to win the grand prize.
The show opened with a number by the hosts: Luke Green, Betsy Pack, Abi Stechmann, Annie Elliot, Bronson Campbell and Mia Grace McKinney. Dressed in mock racing jackets, the group came onto the stage with an ensemble cover of “Route 66” by the Cheetah Girls.
From there, Campbell and Green sang “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts to the cheers of the audience. A montage of the hosts going on a road trip played behind them as the audience sang along.
The montage then transitioned into an interview with the directors of the first show, The Next Level. Meg Allen and Kenna Otero spoke about the themes they centered their show on. “The main [themes] we chose were just identity and fear of change but also being confident to grow into who you’re supposed to be,” said Allen.
The Next Level, centered around the milestone of high school graduation, began with a rush of students on stage. The ensemble cast sang “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde. Performing students added energy to the song through cartwheels and the worm.
The story of The Next Level focused on two couples, Eric and Tiff, and Jason and Jen, who are struggling with their future after high school. To manage the conflict, their school principal asks them to play Atari together. In a plot twist, they end up inside the game.
From there, the couples learn how to navigate their fears of growing up through a series of video games and songs. “Ghostbusters” plays while Eric reenacts a Pac-Man game on stage, to the cheers and laughter of the audience. The game captures the idea of having only one life and not being afraid to live it. “If I get up, I lose my last life,” Eric said. “If I stay here, I can’t lose.”
The next game the couples face is the classic, Centipede. While recreating the game on stage, the cast wore bright neon green and yellow outfits while laser noise perforated through a cover of “Venus” by Bananarama. The game captures the idea of being able to be independent. At the start of the game Tiff says, “I can’t do this by myself,” but ultimately wins without the help of the other players.
The final game is Tetris, played by Jen and Jason. They sing “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship as they perform a synchronized partner dance, joined by members of the ensemble.
The couples win their challenges and sing “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House together. There, their principal, Mr. Smith, gives the advice to “keep driving, no matter what happens, because life is a road. It’s a highway, but the possibilities are endless.”
The couples get their happy ending and go to their graduation ceremony. There, the ensemble sings “Take On Me” by A-Ha.
Between The Next Level and the following show, Green sang a cover of “Mr. Blue Sky” and Campbell performed “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” earning the applause of the audience. Following this, Stechmann sang “Ain’t It Fun” and Elliot performed her rendition of “Rather Be.”
The next show, Nine to Fine, was directed by Ameila Creasey and Sophia Shear, and focused on the working years of a person’s life. “We want people to take away [that they should] look up from their work lives and not get too consumed by your job,” the directors shared before the show.
The show began with “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton. It follows Jack and Claire, two young professionals with a history of dating in the past. The two are forced to work together on a fashion launch for Dolly Parton called Nine to Fine.
When Jack first discovers this arrangement, he tells his coworkers that he is not worried because he is
“bad.” This announcement is followed by the guys’ dance, to “Bad” by Michael Jackson, the guys dancing in their suits and ties.
Clarie, also upset with this arrangement, goes to her friend Phoebe to vent. Phoebe insists on coming with Claire to Nashville on her work trip. Joined by the girls in the ensemble, the two then sing “Watch Me Shine” by Joanna Pacitti.
When forced to confront each other before leaving for the trip, Claire confronts Jack with “You’re so Vain” by Carly Simon. The two lead the couples’ dance, joined by members of the ensemble, to cheers and applause from the audience.
Once in Nashville, a cast member playing Dolly Parton appears on stage in a large blonde wig and bright pink bodysuit. She gives the couple advice on navigating love and work. “Many people told me I could have a career or the love of my life, but I couldn’t have both,” she says. “I found out love didn’t shrink the work, it expanded it.”
To celebrate the launch of the fashion line, Dolly Parton leads the ensemble in a performance of “Applause” by Lady Gaga. The show ends with “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder.
The following interlude began with a guitar solo before Pack came onto the stage to perform “Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna. The rock and roll bit garnered applause and cheers from the audience, while Green’s following antics had them laughing.
Following Pack’s performance, Elliot spoke to the audience about the frustrations of growing up when life “stops feeling linear.” The hosts then sang a medley of “We Are Young” and “Some Nights” by Fun. together, harmonizing through the end of the song.
A brief intermission was followed by Pack returning to stage with “Heart Like a Truck” by Lainey Wilson. The hosts then came back together to perform a Fleetwood Mac medley featuring “Landslide,” “Go Your Own Way” and “The Chain.”
The third and final show, The Scenic Route, begins with a granddaughter, Ruth, FaceTiming her grandparents and asking them to come see her last show in college. The grandparents eagerly agree, but they must first break out of their nursing home.
To do this, they distract “Sheriff Woodruff” with a performance of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. Woodruff, however, tells the elderly couple’s son, Richard, that his parents are out, leading to Richard going to find them.
Before Richard succeeds in his quest, Ruth and her grandparents sing “Happy Together” by The Turtles.
Richard eventually finds his family and joins their impromptu roadtrip. Bickering ensues, so the family splits to deal with their issues. Ruth and her grandmother go to a coffee shop where she performs “Circus” by Britney Spears. Richard and his father go to a golf course where they sing “Bet on It” from High School Musical, originally performed by Zac Efron.
Once family tensions are resolved, the elderly couple reminisces on their youth with a rendition of Alan Jackson’s “Remember When” featuring a montage of the couple in their younger years. As the montage played, the audience awed and cheered, some tearing up at the sentimental lyrics.
The show ended with Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer,” during which dancers dressed as elders stood amongst the audience.
After the final show, Green and McKinney performed Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life” and “My Way.” McKinney’s rendition of “My Way” brought cheers from the audience, as her sparkly, floor-length dress and long white gloves captured the essence of Sinatra’s era.
The opening night was judged on visual elements, including choreography and dance. These awards will not be revealed until Friday.
To conclude the show, the hosts sang “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. A montage of Singarama rehearsals played behind them during the performance.
Two awards were announced Thursday: the Willard Collins Award for strongest student leader, and the Coba Craig award for Singarama spirit, both voted on by Singarama participants.
The Willard Collins Award ended in a historic tie with two participants winning: Ellie Moen and Reagan Sanders. The Coba Craig award went to Annika Denney.
Featured image taken by Micah Barkley.
