By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor, Lauren Holcomb | LTVN Broadcast Reporter
After weeks and even months of choreographing, practicing and dancing ‘til they drop, the performers of Pigskin had their moment of glory tonight at Waco Hall. After the homecoming court was announced and the curtain dropped, it was showtime.
LTVN’s Lauren Holcomb shows you a behind-the-curtains look at Pigskin Revue.
Blair Browning served as the host for the night, welcoming each act with a clever introduction delivered with gusto. This year makes it his seventeenth hosting Pigskin.
“The Good Newsies” was first up, featuring the guys of Phi Kappa Chi. Running around the stage in practically perfect coordination were suspender-clad newsies in red, blue and green. This group’s through-the-roof energy and projection through songs like “Signed, Sealed & Delivered” and “Proud Mary” made each and every move hard to ignore. This was a strong act that stayed loud until the very end.
The next group was Kappa Alpha Theta with their act “The Great KATsby.” This act was a monster, and while I knew that, I was engaged the whole time through, despite the over seven-minute duration. Performers seemed to dance effortlessly from “New York, New York” all the way to “Dance the Night.” The costumes were spot-on and facial expressions were energized. The transitions flowed like water. If these ladies were tired, I couldn’t tell.
Following the flappers was “Buzz of the Bee,” performed by Sing Alliance. The song selection was one of my favorite parts of this act, and the performers executed it at a very high level. While “Counting Stars” started off a bit quiet, the group quickly gained momentum with “No Scrubs,” “Bad Blood” and ABBA’s “SOS.” Their theatrics were superb, playing out the clever storyline while also putting as much effort into excellent vocals.
Browning referenced the few and far between autumn chills Waco has experienced before introducing Delta Delta Delta and their “Weather or Not” act. Though it was another long act, the choreography and vocals took me by storm. There were several “wow” moments created by the soloists reaching those high notes and drawing out vibratos, such as the one ending the group’s rendition of “Blown Away.” Additionally, the chrome storm jumpsuits were eye-catching and reflected entrancingly under the lights.
The last performance before the intermission was “Nothing Set in Stone,” put on by Alpha Tau Omega. Their detailed backdrop of a medieval kingdom set the scene for the knights in chain mail and wizards with long, white beards. This was another act that started off with lower volume and energy but built up to an exciting explosion of a performance.
Opening up the second act of the show was Chi Omega with “Caught Red-handed.” Much applause preceded the lifting of the curtain, which led into “House of the Rising Sun.” In this act, Little Red Riding Hood wove between wolves, one of them pretending to be her grandmother. The act’s climax, in which the dress ripped off the wolf in grandma’s clothing, was just perfect — leading right into a devious rendition of “Hit the Road, Jack” performed by the wolves. This act had great pitch and volume and their cheer-esque choreography was sharp, earning deafening applause from the audience.
From one red-themed act to the next, “Papa Tiki’s Balliamo!” put on by Tau Kappa Epsilon took the spotlight. This act had several genuinely comedic moments which I could tell the group enjoyed performing. For instance, a rather shrieky “Ave Maria” from one of the performers drew several laughs from the crowd. In the search for the golden pizza cutter, “Get’cha Head In The Game” and “My Way” were performed against the backdrop of Papa Tiki’s pizza parlor. While this wasn’t super flashy, it was certainly engaging and enjoyable.
Taking the stage next in a mob of sequins was Alpha Chi Omega’s act, “The Show Must Go On.” Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” was a common theme throughout the act, with “SOS” by Rihanna and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” also making the cut. I was especially impressed by the quartet’s harmonies. With lots of hair-flipping and flapping of feathered fans, this was a fun one to watch.
Last, but not least — actually quite the opposite — was Kappa Omega Tau with “Sweet Gingerbread Man.” This act took first place at Sing, and it’s not hard to see why. The group’s coordination was on point from what I could see, other than one top hat drop. The energy for this act was at 100% from the dramatics to the crispness of the choreography. Hits like “Everybody” by Backstreet Boys and “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight” by Cutting Crew had the audience singing along until the very last line of “Sweet Gingerbread Man!”
