84 I Can Fly! | Students dance to their Spring Sing performance in 2001. Through the years, Spring Sing dance became more complicated and unique for each shows theme. Photo Courtesy of Brackett Archives Two Years Strong | As the second Spring Sing show, the host and hostesses sing together on stage in 1976. 48 years later and the traditions of hosts and hostesses stood strong for the 50th show anniversary. Photo Courtesy of Brackett Archives of these changes reflected a benevolent shift in the attitude and purpose of Spring Sing. It went from being a way to involve students in the 50th anniversary of the University, evolved to become club competition, but became primarily a way to foster relationships between clubs while raising money for charity. With over 50 years of development, needless to say, much changed about Spring Sing. It went from being a few clubs singing parodies of popular songs to one of the biggest productions of the year. “We don’t want it to be a glorified talent show, “ Dr. Steve Frye said of Spring Sing over 20 years ago. “We want it to match a Branson show or a theme park. What we don’t have in money for sets and costumes, we make up for in student enthusiasm,” (The Bison, April 13, 2001). The show moved to the newly completed Benson Auditorium in 1980, the same year larger clubs began using live music, backgrounds became more detailed and confusion over tabulations resulted in a certified public accountant being hired the following year. In 1991, a synthesizer was added, and a rap group performed between shows — the beginnings of what would later become the ensemble. 1999 saw the first experimentation with pyrotechnics, which was highly successful and became a fairly consistent part of Spring Sing. In 2014, laser lights were used for the first time in the Benson, and it continued to get bigger and bolder from there. Let it be noted, the oft overlooked Harding stage band has been a facet of Spring Sing since the beginning. Spring Sing, in its 50 years, had several memorable moments, some breathtaking, some more mundane. One of the most outstanding recent moments was the winning show of 2022, Haunted Harding, performed by Phi Kappa Delta, Delta Gamma Rho and Omega Phi. It was the first show in two years without COVID-19 regulations, and the first time that these clubs joined a show together. It created an urban legend for why curfew existed, touching on the Harding ghost stories, and ultimately showcasing the community of the University. It won both the music award and the entertainment award, as well as the John H. Ryan Sweepstakes Award. The Sweepstakes Award was renamed the John H. Ryan Sweepstakes Award in 1998, during the show’s 25th anniversary, as a way to honor one of the biggest contributors to and influences of the show. Ryan, “Mr. Spring Sing,” had his start in 1974, when he was approached by two students, co-founders of Spring Sing, who asked him to be a faculty advisor and producer… the night before the first performance, specifically to approve some questionable musical numbers. That first year,
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