Before High School Musical…
Before Glee…
There was Sing.
It’s a simple premise: There is a high school in Brooklyn. At this school, there is an annual revue show put on called ‘Sing’. At the end of this school year (1989), the board of education has decided to close this high school.
Enter Lorraine Bracco, teacher at (and former student of) this high school. She cannot stop the school from closing, but she and the rest of the community can make sure that the last ‘Sing’ is the best ‘Sing’ ever.
Everything is in place. You’ve got Patti LaBelle teaching choir. You’ve got a young Cuba Gooding Jr. with the dance moves. You’ve got the Girl Next Door running the production in the form of Jessica Steen.
Oh, Jessica…I love you. Call me.
There are fundraising issues, and Certain People don’t want the show to go on at all. These issues are all dispatched in the usual fashion (usually in montage form).
What’s missing is the Big Voice. As it happens in cinematic situations like this, Hannah Gottschalk (Steen) has no hope of a ’Sing’ Lead with any of the people auditioning. She does however have a mutual hate/lust thing going on with local bad boy Dominic (played by Peter Dobson).
And wouldn’t you know it…Dom can sing and dance. I know! You’re shocked, but it’s true.
Through a series of minor criminal misunderstandings, Dominic is blackmailed into performing. He nails it – natch - and he and Hannah fall in love, and ‘SING’ rocks the decrepit auditorium for the last time.
Sing didn’t light the box office on fire, but I was in high school in 1989 when the move came out. I was in every band and choir my high school had. I was watching friends I’d made start to graduate and move on. The music teacher was retiring. I also worked in a video store and must have watched this movie about a million times. It spoke to me in a way that I can’t quite explain, and I wore out the cassette tape of the soundtrack. The movie is cheesy as hell, but it’s *awesome* to me.
I haven’t seen the movie in years. It’s not even available on DVD. I look for it on cable now and then, but can never find it.
I’ll never forget what it meant to me, though.
Seriously, Jessica. Call me.
It’s funny how certain movies, no matter how good they are, can strike you in just the right way that they become symbolic if your life.
Empire Records is like that for me; you may have inspired my next article.
I *love* the Empire. Do it!
.-= Elwood Blues´s last blog ..Look! Over There! =-.
How did I miss this!? I didn’t really get into the choir scene until 1991 but that is no excuse. NO EXCUSE I tell you!
Oh I loved this movie I just asked Netflix’s if they can find it and stream it on there site!