Singing Night Away

Monday, 4/28/97 Singing Night Away UCLA’s brightest performers
come together and let their talents shine at the annual Spring
Sing

By Michelle Navarro Daily Bruin Contributor Hollywood, known for
Mann’s Chinese Theater, the Walk of Fame and, as MTV’s Chris
Hardwick put it, "hookers and drugs," served as the backdrop of
Spring Sing 1997’s theme, "Avenue of the Stars." Last Friday,
masters of ceremony Chris Hardwick and Mike Phirman kicked off this
year’s concert by taking the audience on a pseudo-stroll down the
walk. Although Hardwick and Phirman’s jokes and comedy bits kept
the crowd laughing, the real show came from the performers
themselves. This year’s annual Spring Sing featured over 20 student
acts – all performed and organized by UCLA students. The acts were
arranged into different categories, including solo, ensemble and
band, and all competed for various musical awards. Sapphire took
the stage with their rendition of the ballad, "You Were Meant For
Me," originally sung by the popular artist Jewel. The performance
clinched Mortar Board Award for best duet. "It felt really good,"
said Melanie Xanthos, a fourth-year sociology student and member of
Sapphire. "It was pretty awesome to look out there and see the
audience." Xanthos said they chose the song because it fit her
voice well. She also said she decided to enter the competition
while watching last year’s Spring Sing concert. "It’s my last year,
and when I saw the show last time I thought, ‘I can do that, I can
sing,’" Xanthos said, grinning. The Mortar Board Award for best
solo went to Mark Armstrong, who performed "If I Said I Had it
All." The Roustabouts, a five-member female group, took home the
William C. Ackerman Award for best ensemble entry. They captivated
the crowd, especially those carrying a Y-chromosome, with an
intensely sexy and seductive number. The girls sang "Black Velvet"
while dancing with chairs in front of an Elvis Presley backdrop. A
thundering performance of Bonnie Tyler’s "Holding Out for a Hero"
by the band PKs won them UCLA’s Las Donas Award for best band. With
gold, glitzy costumes, brass instruments and dancers, the PKs
presented an extremely professional and entertaining show. "We feel
great," said fifth-year music student and lead singer Trisha
Rapier. "I thought we did good." The Evian Award for best overall
event participation went to Pete and Lily, who performed a very
moving and haunting song, "Vanishing." Molly Quinn, a second-year
dance student, was given the Best Director’s Award for overseeing
Alpha Phi and Theta Chi’s spoof of the musical "A Chorus Line."
According to first-year biology student Amy Gimlen, the group had
been rehearsing their number since January. The group also took the
UCLA Affiliates Award for best production. "This is incredible.
They’re the most dedicated house. They worked really hard and I’m
very proud," Quinn said. The a capella group Awaken received the
Judge’s Special Award for their ’80s flashback performance that
included such songs as Toto’s "Africa." The ’80s were also
revisited with the group that took home both the UCLA Prytanean
Award for best a capella and the Grand Sweepstakes Award, Ja’a.
Ja’a sang a tribute to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, with a
medley they named "Ja’ackson 8." Eight screaming, high-pitched,
moonwalking and one-gloved Michael Jacksons danced around the
stage, harmonizing some of Jackson’s tunes like "Billy Jean" and
"Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough." "I’m overwhelmed. We didn’t
expect it," said Derek Mateo, an Asian American studies graduate
student and Ja’a member, "we just came out here to have a good
time, we wanted to have fun." The rest of the performers were
equally talented and entertaining. The duo Static Blues even had a
few audience members waving their lighters during their performance
of Eric Clapton’s "Wonderful Tonight." Unfortunately, some
technical difficulties created a game of microphone roulette for
the MCs and Tinig ng Samahang Pilipino. Hardwick, a former UCLA
student and current co-host of MTV’s "Singled Out," best summed it
up when he said, "I might as well have walked out naked, it’s that
kind of a nightmare." During the Tinig ng Samahang performance, the
soloists’ microphone died. As they stepped up for their moment of
glory and opened their mouths to sing, nothing came out. "It sucks
for the performers. We worked hard and no one could hear it," said
Annalisa Burgos, a second-year English and communications studies
student and Tinig ng Samahang Pilipino member. "It was really
discouraging," said Rachel Hernandez, a second-year undeclared
student and Tinig ng Samahang Pilipino member. Toward the end of
the show the group was called back to the stage to repeat their
performance of "My Way Home," this time with working microphones.
Randy Newman was the recipient of the George and Ira Gershwin
Award. Newman is known for such favorites like "I Love L.A." and "I
Love To See You Smile" as well as for music from "The Three
Amigos," "Toy Story" and "James and the Giant Peach." Other
highlights of the evening surfaced when Hardwick and Phirman did
their comedy bits in between acts. Together, the dynamic pair had a
casual, comfortable humor that held the attention of the crowd. "I
thought it went well, but I was really afraid we were doing too
many bits," Hardwick said after the show. Whether it was Phirman
and Hardwick succeeding in coaxing the entire audience into singing
the commercial jingle for In-N-Out, or Hardwick singing "I Can
Never Be a Wookie" while Han Solo and Chewbacca suggestively danced
on stage, the 1997 Spring Sing proved to be a success without ever
a dull moment. (Top) Members of the group Ja’a accept their grand
sweepstakes award for their performance, Ja’ackson 8, a tribute to
the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The production was a medley of
Jackson’s greatest songs, and members entertained the audience as
they imitated the King’s infamous moonwalk. The group also won the
best a capella performance award at the 1997 Spring Sing. (Above)
Sapphire performs their way to the best duet award with a rendition
of Jewels’ ballad, "You Were Meant For Me." (Left, above) Alpha Phi
and Theta Chi took home the award for best production with their
spoof of the musical "A Chorus Line." The high-energy performance
earned Molly Quinn the award for best director. (Left, bottom) The
five-member female group, the Roustabouts, captivated audiences
with their seductive set. They sang "Black Velvet." BAHMAN FARAHDEL
Sapphire won the best duet category at Spring Sing. AARON TOUT
Alpha Epsilon Phi and Sigma Pi won best production for their
performance "A Bruin in the Woods." AARON TOUT The Roustabouts were
a hit at Spring Sing. Spring Sing Homepage