FHU students make history with Makin’ Music 43 livestream performance

For the first time in Makin’ Music history, the annual musical extravaganza did not take the stage this year due to the extended spring break caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, a livestream show premiered for one night only and generated the largest audience in the show’s history.
The show’s producer Tony Allen was devastated at the thought of a canceled show. So he came up with the idea to live stream a run through performance to share with FHU students, alumni and friends before students left for the break.
The show’s leaders agreed to go for one chance to show what they had accomplished. They decided “to take what we had and throw it on stage.”
“At first, it looked as if Makin’ Music wouldn’t happen when we were expecting it to happen, and then all of a sudden, it wasn’t happening at all!” Peggy Weaver, director of the hosts and hostesses, said. “It was just bizarre how much changed in the course of 48 hours. My first thought was, ‘Our theme this year is ‘Sing Me Back Home,’ and I guess that is exactly what is going to happen.”
Local students involved in the show included Naomi Rodriguez, a management major, and Ryan Hodges, a Communication Public Relations major, both from Henderson.
With nearly 12,000 unique viewers the online show generated the largest audience ever to watch a Makin’ Music production.
In more than a bit of irony, the first line of the opening number says, “Tonight’s the night we’ll make history.” It goes on to ask, “Whatcha doing tonight? Have you heard that the world’s gone crazy?” The world had, in fact, gone crazy. And, Makin’ Music 43 did make a little history.