By Camille Rasor | Contributor
This weekend welcomes one of Baylor’s most anticipated homecoming traditions — Pigskin Revue. One thousand students take the Waco Hall stage dressed in makeup and costumes prepared to perform the eight musical acts voted most impressive by the judges at spring’s All-University Sing.
The performances begin with Kappa Chi Alpha’s sugar-sweet number, “Home Sweet Home,” which placed third in Sing.
Performers dressed in bright colors, somewhat resembling candy canes and gumdrops, dance to upbeat songs in a candy landscape until midway through the act, when women dressed as “licorice” dominate the stage, antagonizing the colorful dancers who filled the stage during the opening sequence. By the end of the act, all of the different candies become friends, resulting in a vibrant opening performance.
“Home Sweet Home” was light, which made it a great way to begin the night. Although a few performers were sometimes offbeat with the people around them, these minor errors did not take away from the overall presentation of the act.
Next to take the stage is Phi Kappa Chi’s performance of “New Kid on the Block,” which tells the story of young boys rejecting a newcomer to their neighborhood. As the storyline progresses, the characters learn to accept their new friend, ultimately resulting in a moving portrayal of the power of friendship.
The strong vocalists and sharp choreography of this performance mix well with the relatable storyline to create a touching performance that leaves an impact on the audience well after the curtains close.
Performances continue with Zeta Tau Alpha’s take on a day in the life of a coffee shop barista. As the act begins, dancers dressed as frappés make their way through the aisles of the audience. These elaborate costumes creates an initial interest in the act, but it fails to progress an entertaining storyline, causing the beginning energy to die out by the conclusion of the performance.
Next, Delta Delta Delta and Alpha Tau Omega perform “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve,” which features sparkly gold and burgundy dresses and the race to turn the power back on in New York City after a rogue rat chews through the powerline seconds before midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The dances are sharp, the vocals are strong and the costumes add to the act without distracting the audience from the storyline. Overall, the performance is entertaining, even if it is not the strongest, most impactful act of the night.
After a brief intermission, Chi Omega takes the stage performing “Can’t Stop the Bees,” which took second place during Sing 2019. The act begins with performers buzzing along with kazoos to the rhythm of the opening song, and it concludes with a stage of sharply executed formations that make the stage appear to be overflowing with performers.
This number is entertaining and the vocals are strong, but it was not the most compelling performance of the night.
Next comes Kappa Sigma’s “Finding Bigfoot,” which brings just as much energy to the stage as the other acts even though this group of performers is significantly smaller than other groups featured throughout the night.
This act features a sequence of performers dressed as state troopers that comes across as awkward. However, by the time the curtain closes, this brief moment is forgotten, and the performance is remembered as whimsical and charming.
Kappa Kappa Gamma then takes the stage in retro-style flight attendant costumes with a performance of “Kappa Air” as the second to last act of the night. While this act is performed well, there was nothing in the performance that made it stand out among other acts.
Lastly, Kappa Omega Tau’s “The Night Before Christmas,” which won first place at Sing last semester, shows a funny, if not dark, take on Santa’s elves as oppressed prisoners until Santa leaves to deliver presents for Christmas. The song choices, clean choreography and high energy is impressive and certainly justifies this act as the winner among all acts featured both in last year’s Sing performances and the acts featured in Pigskin 2019.
