LIFE ON THE STAGE Freshman Jonathan Andrew joined four students to host Harding's 40th Spring Sing show, "Larger Than Life." A theatre major from Pittsburgh, Penn., Andrew had the opportunity to perform for more than 11,000 people as a host. "I've only seen Spring Sing from an audience point of view, so I didn't know what to expect," Andrew said. "I loved how close the hosts and ensemble got, and I was excited to see how the whole process came together." Sophomore Austin Collum, a fellow Spring Sing host, was excited that Andrew was selected as a host. "Being a host as a freshman for Spring Sing is a definite honor," Collum said. "Jonathan is incredibly talented and personable, which is why he was the ideal Spring Sing host. I am positive that he is going to be a great addition to the Harding theatre department now and for years to come." In high school ,Andrew said he participated in choir and musicals even though he was terrified of singing in front of people. He came a long way from those days- not only was he a Spring Sing host, but he also used his love of acting to entertain a variety of audiences with the Pied Pipers, the children's theater troupe that used imagination and improvisation to engage young audiences and to share spiritual truths with them. "I had seen the Pied Pipers last spring, and I thought it was hilarious," Andrew said. "I had never done improvisation before, but when auditions came around, I decided I might as well give it a shot. I had gone to the 'Piper Palooza,' and they were talking about how close knit everyone was Jonathan Andrew finds his passion for performing and what a great experience it was. I wanted to be a part of something like that, so I went for it." Andrew also performed in Harding's fall musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" as Gad, one of Joseph's brothers. Though Andrew participated in theater in high school, he had never experienced as extensive a production as the Homecoming musical. "I've never had a costume made specifically for me," Andrew said. "Everything about 'Joseph' is so much more professional and tailored to our needs as performers. It's been really neat seeing it come together." Member of Pied Pipers senior RC Tucker said Andrew was a valuable part of the troupe and brought a special energy and joy that helped the group to better interact with the children they performed for. "Jon is such a captivating person," Tucker said. "There is just something about him that grabs your attention and makes you want to know more. It has been a joy to watch him grow throughout this semester. Being a Piper, children are the priority by far.And to watch children be fascinated by his characterization is just wonderful. He's going to do some really fantastic things. I'm so proud of him!" Originally a speech pathology major, Andrew became a theatre major because he was more passionate about performing and wanted to be able to make it a career. "Theater is something I feel like I should be pursuing because I love it so much," Andrew said. "I feel like God's given me a lot of opportunities, so I'm going for it and seeing where it takes me." Rachel Weiss Freshmen 1165
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