Pauley Pavilion was packed to the brim, with the audience hyped and doing the 8-clap long before the beginning of the show.
The community atmosphere inside was undeniable, and the crowd seemed to look forward to the change of venue from the Los Angeles Tennis Center to Pauley.
“I think it’s great that we can continue this tradition in a building that has so much history,” said third-year psychobiology student Linda Trinh.
The historical venue also allowed for light shows not possible at LATC. As the lights dimmed and the crowd began waving their blue and gold glow sticks, the fire-colored light show behind Yukai Daiko’s exhibition drum performance reflected Pauley’s orange aisle lights.
After this exhibition, reminiscent of an Olympics opening ceremony in its magnitude, the celebrity judges were announced.
By the time the words “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” were uttered as guest judge Melissa Joan Hart ascended the stage, only a unanimous shriek of different pitches could be heard, the rest becoming inaudible.
The crowd was a little more stunned when the final judge, former supermodel Janice Dickinson, kissed her student escort on the mouth and proceeded to twirl around the stage.
The highlights of the first half of the show included returner Katie Boeck’s sweet crooning, which inspired the entire audience to clap along, and the Strathmore Players’ comical “Jerry Maguire: The Musical.”
After the first half, the moment that the crowd was waiting for finally arrived. Random screams of Julie Andrews’ name could be heard from every direction, and people began dancing in their seats. A few were even hopping around in excitement. A video montage began, and the shrieks and coos grew into a pandemonium when clips of “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music” were shown.
When Julie Andrews finally came onto the stage to receive the 22nd Annual George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award, she was greeted by a standing ovation.
Andrews’ speech was eloquent yet comical, playing on Bruin spirit by tying her speech back to Pauley and humorously recalling the divinity of her “Camelot” costar’s legs. The crowd responded with another standing ovation as she left the stage.
After intermission, NSU Modern countered the first exhibition with a firecracker performance of their hip-hop “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party,” complete with flashing lights.
Later, after a few electrifying jazz vocalists and acoustic guitar solos, Scattertones performed an inspiring rendition of “If You’re Out There,” with each singer dressed in a T-shirt with a historic leader ranging from Lincoln to Obama.
Closing a show largely dominated by the acoustic guitar, Rapture City Philharmonic distinguished their act with an illuminated orchestra on the corner of the stage.
After a dramatic classical intro, Taleior Boykins began his rap, accompanied by an electric ensemble, with Arkae Tuazon belting out powerful vocals while playing the piano. It was an energetic end appropriate for the lively show.
The crowd maintained their excitement throughout the three-hour show, a fact that could largely be credited to the night’s MCs. Hitting a fine note with the UCLA audience, its skits ranged in topic, from pop culture to everyday campus life.
The skits explored the frat party phenomenon in which girls have the choice of getting either “buck wild,” or “freak nasty,” as well as ice-laden athletes on scooters and family members joining Facebook.
Elaborate videos also made fun of Southern California’s fear of rain and compared campus commutes to animal migrations.
The crowd favorite and winner of the Best Skit award was “iPhone,” a parody of the ending number “Jai-Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Some students sang the songs all the way to the dorms after the show.
Overall, the audience seemed to enjoy the venue change. Audience members noticed the greater communal spirit, but some also noted sound issues.
“I like the venue because being in Pauley creates a better sense of community, as opposed to LATC,” said second-year psychology student Heather Cavion.
“The only shortcoming is the decreased audibility in the upper sections.”
Cavion’s younger sister, Chelsey, who came to UCLA just to watch the show, had a similar reaction.
“The energy is incredible,” she said. “I love the venue but the sound was a little hard to follow.”
Even with the acoustic difficulties, not everyone had a problem deciphering lyrics. First-year math and applied science student Jessica Lin felt differently.
“This is my first time in Pauley and I think there is really good sound quality here,” Lin said. “I felt really connected with the stage and audience.”
Even with the slight disagreement here, the crowd’s reaction after the show seemed to point to one conclusion. True to all the posters and fliers, Spring Sing 2009 truly rocked Pauley.