Baylor ATO receives rave review on Sing 2011 performance

THETA NU (Baylor) — The men of Theta Nu at Baylor recently competed in Sing 2011. Their 2010 title-defending performance is listed in the following editorial and critique as a top three contender, poising the chapter for another year on top as the Sing champions.

“Editors’ note:
Sing 2011 was filled with awesome sets, great themes and much improvement. We’ve made some observations on each of the acts. They aren’t meant to be rude — they’re meant to highlight the good and point out the areas that need improvement. Thanks to all the performers for their hard work. Our top three picks are Kappa Omega Tau, Alpha Tau Omega and Pi Beta Phi.

Pi Beta Phi
In the opening act of the Sing 2011 season, the ladies of Pi Beta Phi set the tone for one eventful night with their act “Welcome to Your 80s, Ladies.” With a costume color palette just as original as their nursing home theme, the ladies in their 80s played the part well. Humor came from all the ladies staying true to their elderly characters. The group had the best props of the night. Put frankly, they have been unfairly passed over two years in a row and the phrase the third time is a charm has never rang more true for a group. Their act is pure joy and humor and we think we’ll see it at Pigskin — most likely at one of the top three spots.

Pi Kappa Phi
Set in the hills of Hollywood Pi Kappa Phi’s “Hollywood Nights” featured a range of characters from sailors to cowboys. The main problem? There really wasn’t a plot and Pi Kappa Phi left us confused and a bit exhausted trying to keep up. Their music was exciting and the inclusion of fan favorite songs made for an enthusiastic crowd. It seemed as though the same set of dancers were spot on while others lagged behind. Overall, the songs were entertaining, but the audience was left wanting more of a storyline and much cleaner choreography.

Kappa Kappa Gamma
On their trek to grandma’s house, Kappa Kappa Gamma brought great costumes and good tunes for the journey with “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” From Duffy’s “Mercy” to Ingrid Michaelson’s “Be OK,” the musical selection for the group was great. The soloists were there, but their presence was a little stilted. The group vocals were perfect and the story line clear. The big bad wolves made this act and added an element that took it from mundane to innovative. Overall, great job ladies, we might see you at Pigskin.

Sing Alliance
Sing Alliance entertained with the light-hearted “Hip Hip Hooray.” The part of that will haunt us long after Sing is over, though, is the atrocity of those piñata outfits. The piñata dancers looked so angry, but it’s understandable considering what they were wearing. That aside, the performance was good. It was a traditional Sing performance and we were entertained by the playful aspect of the act. However, it started to lag toward the end. Just when we were ready to leave the party, they brought out the cake.

Phi Gamma Delta
It doesn’t take a detective to know the men of Fiji attempted to hone in on the mystique and sophistication of Sherlock Holmes in their act “A Murder Mystery.” The act was a solid performance, with semi-clean choreography and so-so vocal performances. Highlight of the act: The British cops. The costumes could have used a little more effort but the energy made up for it. The backdrop was nothing special and added nothing to the show — losing a major area where interest and entertainment points could have been added.

Alpha Tau Omega
They may have been working from nine to five, but the men of Alpha Tau Omega had the most fun on stage last night with their “Case of the Mondays” routine. It was a theme most could relate to and the comedy kept us interested. The costumes were spot on and when matched with great choreography, there wasn’t much that wasn’t right about this routine. The men of Alpha Tau Omega proved what Sing acts are all about — having fun. We’ll being seeing the guys in Pigskin this fall and probably at the top, too.

Chi Omega and Phi Kappa Chi
Let’s just start with the soloist at the beginning of Chi Omega and Phi Kappa Chi’s act “Bonnie and Clyde.” She was beyond phenomenal and we were left wanting more from her. The act was a great interaction between Phi Chi and Chi O. They had a clear story line and there was not a down moment with so much energy on stage. However, the two groups — who commonly were paired together, the large size of the resulting act was a bit overwhelming. We fear that this might harm the group’s result in the end. — nonetheless, the two will probably grace the stage again this Fall.

Kappa Chi Alpha
With a dash of humor and loads of sunshine, Kappa Chi Alpha took the audience on a kite flying adventure. The outfits weren’t too much, with small kite insignias on the front and blue kites that trailed down the back. Overall, the songs chosen were a perfect fit, but the group let the audience sit in silence during the intense whirlwind that landed their kite alone in a tree. The ladies bounced back and used comedic relief at just the right time with a rendition of “All By Myself,” performed by one of their three talented vocalists. All in all, this year’s act showed much improvement from their Big Apple act last year.

Kappa Sigma
The men of Kappa Sigma put on an awesome show with their recess themed “Playin’ Around at the Playground.” They opened up with great numbers that had our toes tapping and our full attention. The guys’ playful attitude fit in perfectly with their playground theme — and the costumes, while not super sophisticated — ­bettered the overall feel of the act. Their vocals were surprisingly good. It was a performance that was truly fun and energetic and all what Sing is about. Phenomenal improvement from last year’s oil rig. Best song: “Come Play Away.”

National Panhellenic Council and Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir
Excuse the cliché, but these voices were heavenly in this years “Dance Train” act put on by the National Panhellenic Council and Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir.. It the inaugural year for the NPHC and Heavenly Voices, but nothing was amateur about their vocals. For a small group they brought the soul and rocked the stage. They came out strong with crowd-pleasing music and a soul train these that kept the audience interested. The first half of the act had a great pace, but it began to trail at the end. With a larger group, more props and more intricate set design, they might have made a push for Pigskin.

Alpha Chi Omega
Pardon the food pun, but was this breakfast a little cheesy? Alpha Chi Omega’s “Part of Your Balanced Breakfast” act graced the pop gods with multiple Michael Jackson covers.

We appreciated their rendition of “Billie Jean” – “Jimmy Dean” – but meshed with “Beat It” we felt the whole theme was a little forced. The outfits were a bit ambiguous. (For instance, the bacon could double as peppermints.) The eggs were a great costume, though and the set and props where high quality.

It was an act that caught our attention but the music was a little overdone and the theme a little too much of a stretch.

Kappa Alpha Theta
Theta brightened our day with the ladies act, “A Golden Afternoon.” We think this group’s Pigskin performance from last season has upped the stakes for them and they are fighting hard again for another Pigskin spot. These girls added a comedic element that is typically left for the guys with their gnomes. The gnomes were great and the inclusion of the Seal song showed that they weren’t taking themselves too seriously. Highlight of the act — the weeds. Great costume, great incorporation of the theme and the weeds had some great moves, too. We could have hoped for a little more variety in the costumes of the flowers — one after another just got a bit redundant.

Alpha Delta Pi and Delta Tau Delta
Alpha Delta Pi brought in Delta Tau Delta for their act “Don’t Stop Til It’s Clean Enough” in this year’s act. A definite highlight was the group’s dust bunnies but the maids and butlers left us wanting a bit more individuality. However, the dust bunnies were very original and it was a great incorporation of ADPi’s normal personification of inanimate objects. It was a questionable color pallet that clashed with everything, but the set was good and we really enjoyed the idea.

Delta Delta Delta
It was a zoo with Delta Delta Delta’s “Just Imagine It” act. Many people will see this year’s act as proof of the group’s cookie cutter ways. What do we think? Don’t fix what isn’t broken. Their act is consistently entertaining year after year and this year was no exception. The zoo theme provided a good story line. Did we mention how much we loved the flamingos? The only thing we could have asked for was more monkeys on roller skates.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon
The men of SAE brought the humor and personal rap to stage again with their 2011 act “Stay at Home Dads.” One thing is for sure: these guys have never failed to make people feel awkward to the point of laughter. Their light-hearted approach to Sing doesn’t bring the strong choreography or shocking vocals like many of the others, but there act has become a staple in the Sing world. The small things — like a Cookie Monster beanie and red onesies — were hilarious. Highlight of the act — the baby crib with spinners.

Zeta Tau Alpha
Thanks to the ladies of Zeta Tau Alpha, we got to see life on the railroad with this year’s “Keep on Rolling” act. The best part of Zeta’s act was their Stomp Fest-esque break. The railroad theme was interesting but those overalls were not, with an excessive amount sequins that took everyone back to about 1993. However, this was a great upgrade from last year’s depressing ending and the high energy of their act may boost them to Pigskin.

Kappa Omega Tau

KOT definitely set the bar high for themselves this year after their win with “The Toys are Back In Town” at Sing 2010. However, they far surpassed last year’s act with their act “The Show Must Go On” this year. With a captivating circus them that left us almost on the edge of terrified, we were highly impressed. KOT wasn’t afraid to get out of the norm and bring new things to the Sing stage. It was absolutely the top act of the night. It was stunning. These guys take the time to plan and incorporate innovation in their act.”