“Dear Lexi,” said each member of the Singing Lions Thursday night in a video before performing in their Love For Lexi Cabaret in 108 Forum.
For the second year, the Singing Lions put on a benefit concert to support the Love For Lexi Foundation, which was founded by Alexia “Lexi” Barnett’s family. Barnett was the Singing Lions THON child before she passed away on August 20, 2011.
Dressed in purple, gray and black, 18 singers performed 18 solo, duo and trio performances of pop songs and songs from musicals that the family relations’ chair for the Singing Lions Alex Gallego said represented Lexi.
“She had her soft side but she also had a spunky personality,” Gallego (junior-media studies) said. “So we picked songs we think she would like and songs that represented her as a girl.”
Some songs in the show included, “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift, “You and Me (But Mostly Me)” from The Book Of Mormon Musical, and “If I Never Knew You” from Pocahontas.
The first Love For Lexi concert was what Gallego called “a spur of the moment event,” because the group did not expect her to pass away so soon.
After last year’s success, the Singing Lions decided to make the event annual.
Sabrina Evans, whose roommate is in the Singing Lions, said the show was really good and that “they’re all great singers.”
“It was charming and they had some good songs,” Evans (freshman-English) said. “I liked that they threw in some comedy to mix in with the slow ones.”
THON moraler Kara Trippel, who likes to go to as many THON events as possible, thought the group was “phenomenal.” She also enjoyed the comedy elements of the show.
“‘You and Me (But Mostly Me)’ was my favorite,” Trippel (freshman-accounting) said. “They were very animated.”
Members of the group performed nine songs before having a 10 minute intermission and coming back to perform nine more. At the end of the intermission, Gallego made a video with his cell phone of himself and the audience to send to Lexi’s family since they were not able to attend.
“It wasn’t really just about us singing to them, but about us showing them the support they have behind them,” Gallego said. “That’s why I made the video.”
Started by her family as a way of remembering Lexi, the Love For Lexi Foundation supports Lexi’s family and her two younger brothers, and helps spread the word about cancer, Gallego said.
“We may not have a cure, but we can spread information about it,” Gallego said.
