Seniors’ Gem Wins SING! as Performers Return Live On Stage
The Seniors’ play involved a high school girl being framed for a jewelry heist. Chuck and his friends have to find out who did it. Photo: Michael Onysko
By MICHAEL ONYSKO and ALVIN YAN
Mere minutes felt like hours as the audience anxiously awaited the judges’ call on the winner. Filled with anticipation, the crowd roared as the overall commissioners and SING! supervisor Mr. Lawrence Kolotkin appeared, holding the results in an orange envelope.
“And the winners of the Overall SING! Production are…” said Commissioner Brianna Tsakh ‘22, “—the Seniors!” The crowd went wild.
This was the seniors’ second win in a row following an upset victory by the juniors in February 2020. This year’s April 29-30 event was the first live show since then, as the productions took place virtually in 2021 due to Covid-19 precautions.
“It was a well-deserved win by the Seniors,” said Tsakh. “The other teams pulled through as well, but the Seniors were on top.”
“Of course they deserved the win,” said Overall Commissioner Arushi Kher ‘22. “They've been working hard towards this for four years.”
SING! is an annual student-led musical production, a tradition that started in Midwood in 1947, just five years after the school first opened its doors. SING! eventually spread to other schools in the city.
There are three SING! teams at Midwood: Seniors, Juniors, and SoFresh. Each performance is graded by a rubric from the last page of the playbill, handed out prior to the beginning of the show.
Besides the overall prize, Seniors also took home individual awards for Best Art, Best Band, Best Alma Mater (Ending Song), and Best Direction.
“I feel ecstatic right now,” said Senior Chorus Leader Elda Nesimi. “I am so proud of my chorus people. I feel like our other songs were missing what we had in our alma mater, but they did really well overall.”
The award for Best Singer went to SoFresh Chorus Leader Kristacia Scott ‘24. SoFresh Commissioner Elise Badmaev ‘24 won Best Dancer.
The Seniors also won Best Alma Mater. Photo: Michael Onysko
“Honestly, I was shocked,” said Badmaev. “I pulled it out of my head. I appreciate Daria Temir-Bulat for performing with me. SoFresh carried me to this win. It was very stressful and my hair is falling out now, but it was all worth it in the end.”
SoFresh also won Best Banner and Best Script.
Both days of SING! had a full auditorium. On the second day, tickets couldn’t even be sold at the door due to the maximum capacity being reached. Photo: Michael Onysko
“SoFresh pulled through really well,” said Kher. “In the past, they always lagged behind. The way they handled everything this year was amazing.”
The Juniors weren’t left in the dust, though, winning Best Crew, and Tiffany Parkhomenko ‘23 won Best Actor.
This year’s SING! had the theme of “Diamond” since it was the production’s 75th Anniversary. Each performance had hidden references to the theme for the audience to be on the lookout for.
First, the show began with a special performance by the school’s Bollywood dancers. Then SoFresh performed their play “Diamond Dreams,” set in the 1920s, about a young woman named Florence O’ Connell who is forced into an unwanted marriage.
Afterwards, the Juniors performed a romance, “A Writer's Guide on How Not to Write,” where a young Jackson Fips is faced with the harsh realities of being an author with writer's block in NYC.
Last but certainly not least came the Seniors’ production “Diamonds and Dimensions,” a comedy where main character Johnny has to adopt a new identity as “Chuck,” a sitcom sidekick whose purpose is providing comedic relief, after being sucked into his television.
“It went amazing,” said Daniel Allone, who starred as Johnny. “Every group was phenomenal.”
“It was a hectic journey,” he added. “It was very hard to get everyone on the same page during practice. However, being on the show was an amazing experience since you got to meet new people. I have no regrets. The show was perfect.”
This year’s SING! ended with a surprise performance by the K-Pop Club, bringing the auditorium a final burst of energy while the results were tabulated.
The audience’s reaction to seeing the show back in-person was overwhelmingly positive.
“The Juniors and Seniors pulled it out well despite the complications, and I enjoyed the K-Pop Club ending; it was a surprise,” said junior Waldo Dilone. “It made me want to join SING! next year even more.”
“We were trying to figure out the plot twist in the Juniors’ performance,” said Amelia Thornhill ‘24. “It made it more interesting and kept you wondering what was going to happen next.”
“It was really good,” said Sameer Ali ‘23. “All the performances were very impressive. The commercial breaks in the Seniors’ show were really good too, very creative.”
“The seniors popped off,” said Amir Nabiyev ‘23.
“The performances were so good I almost cried,” said Aaron Xu ‘23. “I had tears in my eyes.”
“My favorite part of Junior SING! was definitely the story,” said Selina Chen ‘24. “It was very touching.”
When the Omicron wave of Covid-19 hit NYC this winter, club activities including SING! rehearsals were temporarily suspended, and it looked like the show might have to go virtual once again. However, after some petitioning by production leaders, the show was saved, with a delay to late April.
None of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of all the SING! team members, and their efforts have definitely paid off.
“The main goal was just to put out a show that was successful,” said Kher. “As long as the shows were enjoyable for everyone, then I have no regrets.”
Staging SING!: The Challenges Behind the Curtains
By MARCELINO ZAMBRANO
“All actors and stage crew come to the front!” says Junior SING! Stage Manager Patrice McDonald ‘23. As the actors and stage crew jokingly shake their heads no, it becomes easy to see why being a SING! commissioner can be so challenging.
“Coordination has to be the most difficult part because people tend to do what they want,” Acting Director Sabastian Senior ‘23 tells me.
Junior SING! is one of three student productions that competed this April 29-30 in Midwood’s auditorium. Getting ready for showtime was no easy task.
The Juniors’ play told the story of a writer who visits a magic tea shop. Photo: Michael Onysko
Stage crew member Sevinch Ubaydulloeva studies the script. Photo: Marcelino Zambrano
First of all, time is a major issue. It’s hard to have a rehearsal schedule that fits with all members.
“I only have two players here: trombone and guitarist!” says Band Director Gabriella Ko. “I am freaking out right now!” Rehearsing short-staffed can be a real problem, but nonetheless, the team has to make it work.
The juniors’ dance squad is dealing with the same issue. “Having three dancers has to be the hardest,” says dancer Chloe Tse. “If just one of us is out it makes the number smaller than it already is. But we make it work.”
The show must go on! But what is the show?
The Juniors’ play starts with a writer at a cafe struggling with writer’s block for his new book. He takes a drink laced with magic that makes his writing come to life and eventually leads him to the ultimate message of the play: that what we think we want may not be what we really want.
Acting is a “constant feeling of awkwardness,” says Steven Lin, who plays the protagonist. “But at least it isn’t virtual like last year. That was much, much more awkward.”
The cast and crew describe themselves as “super-close,” which makes it easier to overcome the difficulties of executing a large production. “Being able to laugh together – it’s a nice, warm feeling,” says dancer Deborah Zeleny.
“At least it isn't like last year!” says Samantha Kuang. “We weren't able to see or work with each other like now.”
The Juniors’ effects manager works at the switchboard to check the lights and sound. Photo: Marcelino Zambrano
There’s pressure to be perfect even when scenes can be changed in a matter of seconds. Watching the stage crew run around after the curtains close is nerve-racking.
“In order to do this correctly we need to work together,” says Acting Director and Chorus Leader Miriam Hussan. “We are connected. There wouldn’t be SING! without everyone’s part connecting together.”
Still, at the end of the day, putting on SING! is just plain fun. When students mess up, they can share a laugh, make a few memories together, and then get to work fixing those mistakes.
“Making up random ways to go about dancing is always fun,” says Tse. “Sometimes we are really silly and make fun of each other.”
It’s all part of teamwork. “Together we are like the pillars of a building,” says Hassan. “Without one of those pillars, we won't work.”