If you ask any Stuyvesant student what the most exciting time of the year is, you will overwhelmingly get one answer: SING!.
A yearly tradition that is battled out every March, SING! is an inter-grade competition that encourages grade bonding. It involves all aspects of theater, and even those who do not sing or act get the chance to participate by joining crews that work behind the scenes. With SING!’s extravagant sets and elaborate dance numbers, it is evident the immense amount of work each student puts into the show. What’s not always obvious however, are the bloopers that accompany each performance. Whether it’s a costume mishap here or a set collapse there, each show has its share of problems. Here are some memorable moments that (we’re pretty sure) you didn’t catch.
Bloopers
Soph-Frosh SING! 2007
- Director, junior Taylor Shung, was caught onstage during a set change. After she came from backstage to help a cast member move a part of a set, she could not get offstage without being seen by the audience. As a result, she was stuck hiding behind the set for the remainder of the act.
- During the song “Scooby Doo,” two members of boys’ hip-hop ran across the stage unexpectedly. They were then followed by the entire hip-hop crew. This unscripted and spontaneous event left the directors, producers and band flabbergasted.
- As the step crew exited the stage, a portion of the set fell over. The stage managers and members of the stage crew had to run onstage to fix it.
Junior SING! 2007
- During the opening number on Saturday, the batteries in one of the microphones died. Luckily, it was replaced in time for next scene.
- Members of the cast repeatedly tripped on the wires connecting their headsets.
- Before the Wednesday performance, Nicki Fleischner, one of the lead actors, got sick and had to be replaced by director Chloe Goodwin. The next night, Filipp Kotsishevsky,
another lead actor, fell ill, leaving producer Paul Silverman to learn all his lines, blocking and part of a song by that night.
Inside Scoop
- The SING! process starts as early as late December when coordinators are chosen, one for Soph-Frosh, one for the Juniors and one for the Seniors. The coordinators then choose producers for their respective grades. One executive producer is named along with two or three co-producers. The process continues, with the producers making decisions regarding the directors of the various crews. The cast, stage, lighting, sound, costume, art and tech directors are chosen through individual interviews. When the cast directors have been chosen, they collaborate with the producers to select a script. By late January the script has been chosen, all the directors have been selected and crew sign ups begin. The long process culminates in the middle of March for the three performances, the first on Wednesday, the second on Friday and the last and most important, on Saturday. Judges score each performance and pick winners for each night. The scores are then totaled and whichever grade has the largest numberof points wins SING!.
- Each SING is allotted between $2,000-3,000 by the student union. Each grade is also allowed $500 for fundraising.
- Each crew member is required to pay dues of twelve dollars.
Did you know?
- Bad sound isn’t necessarily the sound crew’s fault. A number of factors contribute to it, such as the band, and the actors forgetting to turn microphones on or off.
- After misuse and abuse of the catwalks, the area where the lighting crew works, strict regulations were put in place. Catwalks and the sound booth are now restricted to a few specified students.