SING!

"SING!" is an annual student-run musical production put on by some high schools in the New York City area. It is a theater competition between the various grades, with the setup between grades differing from school to school (such as sophomore-freshman vs. seniors vs. juniors, senior-sophomore vs. junior-freshman or freshman-senior vs. sophomore-junior).

"SING!" was started by Bella Tillis, a music teacher at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, NY, in 1947. [Cite web|url=http://www.nysut.org/newyorkteacher/backissues/1999-2000/000614oscar.html|title=A red violin and a gold statue: PSC member cops Oscar for movie score|year=2000|accessdate=2006-04-06] [Cite web|url=http://www.jessicasteen.com/singsingsing_art.html|title=Sing! Sing! Sing!|first=George|last=Anthony|year=1989|accessdate=2006-04-06] A Library of Congress archive of the papers of entertainer Danny Kaye contains playbills of "SING!" performances at Midwood High School from the years 1953-1957. [Cite web|url=http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/dhc/findaid/mu002005/@Generic__BookTextView/67412;pt=68751|title=Kaye (Danny) and Sylvia Fine Collection|accessdate=2006-04-06]

The 1989 film adaptation "Sing" is based on the "SING!" traditions. According to "The New York Times" review of the movie, the film's production notes say that Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and Neil Sedaka, who attended various Brooklyn and Queens high schools in the 1950s, took part in "SING!" productions. [Cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE3D81038F932A05750C0A96F948260|title=Review/Film; Harmonies in High School|first=Janet|last=Maslin|year=1989|accessdate=2006-04-06] This shows that SING! productions spread from its initial location to multiple high schools in Brooklyn and Queens by the mid-1950s.

Schools with SING! productions as of 2006

*Benjamin N. Cardozo High School: Production held in March
*Bronx High School of Science: Productions cancelled in 1994, [Cite web|url=http://www.bxscience.edu/apps/memoirs/show_memoir.jsp?REC_ID=7088|title=Bronx High School of Science|year=2005|accessdate=2006-04-07] but reinstated at some point, as SING! was produced in 2006. [Cite web|url=http://www.bxscience.edu/apps/events/index.jsp?sd=&y=2006&m=1&id=0&strip=|title=Bronx High School of Science|year=2006|accessdate=2006-04-07]
*Brooklyn Technical High School: Production held annually. Freshmen and Sophomore team up to go up against Juniors and Seniors.
*Forest Hills High School: Productions in mid-1950s, based on Paul Simon's age, and is still being produced as of 2006: "Each December, the students show off their singing, dancing and dramatic talents in Sing, an all student run original production in which the freshman/sophomores, juniors, and seniors compete for victory." [Cite web|url=http://www.fhhsweb.org/index/content/action/Student_Resources|title=Forest Hills Student Resources|year=2006|accessdate=2006-04-06]
*The Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences: According to New York Magazine " [Goldstein] is one of the last schools in the city to continue the tradition of the December "Sing" music-and-dance performance, in which virtually every student in the school participates. Seniors are paired with freshmen, sophomores with juniors." [Cite web|url=http://newyorkmetro.com/urban/articles/schools01/school8.htm|title=The Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences|year=2001|accessdate=2006-04-06]
*Townsend Harris High School: Production held in 2006. [Cite web|url=http://staff.thhs.qc.edu/thhs/calendar/January06.htm|title=Townsend Harris High School Calendar|year=2006|accessdate=2006-04-08]
*James Madison High School: Productions, including Janis Siegel of the Manhattan Transfer, known to have occurred in the late 1960s. Production held in 2005-2006. Seniors/Sophomores against Juniors/Freshmen. [Cite web|url=http://schools.nycenet.edu/region6/madisonhs/pta.htm|title=James Madison High School|year=2006|accessdate=2006-10-10]
*Midwood High School: Started in 1947, and is still being produced as of 2006.
*Edward R. Murrow High School: "Students also produce Sing, where freshmen and seniors compete against sophomores and juniors". [Cite web|url=http://www.ermurrowhs.org/admissions/about.htm|title=About Edward R. Morrow High School|year=2005|accessdate=2006-04-07]
* New Dorp High School: Production held every December.
*New Utrecht High School: Production in 1983, other years unverified, productions stopped by the mid-1990s. Productions reinstated in 2007.
*Michael J. Petrides School: Production held annually for the past four years. Teams vary as the groups have changed within these four years.
*Port Richmond High School: Production held in 2005. [Cite web|url=http://www.portrichmondhs.org/extra_curricular_activities.jsp|title=Port Richmond High School|year=2006|accessdate=2006-09-07]
*Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School: only high school on Long Island to have a "SING!" production, freshmen/sophomores, juniors, and seniors all compete against each other.
*Staten Island Technical High School: Started in the Fall of 2002. Production held every fall since (updated spring 2008). [Cite web|url=http://www.siths.org/apps/events/index.jsp?sd=&y=2006&m=10&id=0&strip=&rn=1039|title=Staten Island Technical High School|year=2006|accessdate=2006-10-15] Held annually, has two teams.
*Stuyvesant High School: Started in 1973, replacing the Student-Faculty Show, and has run continuously since then. The first Stuyvesant SING! included performances by Tim Robbins and Paul Reiser, both students at the time.
*Tottenville High School: Production held in November, 2005. [Cite web|url=http://my.highschooljournalism.org/ny/statenisland/ths/article.cfm?eid=2264&aid=29047|title=Tottenville High School Pirateer|year=2005|accessdate=2006-04-07]
*Susan E. Wagner High School: Started in 1974, and is still being produced as of 2006. Freshmen pair with sophomores in "Sophmen" production, against Juniors and Seniors who each have their own show. Production is held in November or December. [Cite web|url=http://www.wagnerhigh.org/apps/events/show_event.jsp?id=0&REC_ID=13877|title=Susan E. Wagner High School|year=2006|accessdate=2006-05-07]

Schools with SING! production status unknown as of 2006

*Abraham Lincoln High School: Productions in mid/late 1950s, based on Neil Sedaka's age. Production in 1979. [Cite web|url=http://pub40.bravenet.com/forum/3356975624/fetch/395611/|title=Abraham Lincoln High School Web Forum|year=2005|accessdate=2006-04-07]

Schools no longer doing SING! productions as of 2006

*Erasmus Hall High School: Productions in late 1950s, based on Barbra Streisand 1959 graduation. Neil Diamond also attended in this timeframe. School web site shows no evidence of current productions.
*Sheepshead Bay High School: Started in 1962, last produced in 1997, ended due to budget cuts. [Cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Docks/7374/|title=Sheepshead Bay High School Alumni Association|accessdate=2006-04-06]

References

External links

* [http://www.artshub.com/us/?vmStr=D31882CB7BDB97DCBDD8268A80CDBB412C254FD587755A3D Still SING-ing] SING 60th Anniversary, November 03, 2006 Arts Hub US