Catch the hits at Mt. San Antonio College Friday and Saturday

The singing is the only thing fake about this popular tradition. The rest is all real!
There are a lot of ways to measure success, but there’s something about a program that brings together faculty, students, classified staff, administration, and Elvis! This year, the Faculty Association’s musical lip synching show, Puttin’ on the Hits, celebrates 10 years of raising funds for student scholarships and a decade of bringing the campus community together in a way that few programs can match. In commemoration of this notable milestone, this year’s production will bring back many of the acts from the first year, including Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, the Village People, Garth Brooks and perhaps a diva or two.
The production will be staged at the Clarke Theater on Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15, 7:30 p.m. with a special Saturday matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission.
For Math Professor and the show’s producer, Joan Sholars, “Puttin’ on the Hits is one of the things that truly makes Mt. SAC unique.”
The lively production features trustees, faculty, employees and students lip synching the hits of today’s and yesterday’s biggest stars and bands—all in the name of raising funds for student scholarships. But along its altruistic fundraising way, the program yielded some pleasant byproducts—chief among them is the camaraderie and a sense of family that brings together segments of the campus that ordinarily would never meet.
“You’re not ever going to find an event that takes this much effort and time to organize and, in the process, create such lasting friendships,” said Faculty Association President Terri Long, the show’s assistant to the director. “How unique is it that you have students performing along side faculty? It really brings people together.”
Puttin’ on the Hits was the dream of now-retired Communications Professor Ron Reel, who modeled the fundraiser after the mid-80s television show of the same name. The Mt. SAC fundraiser debuted in 1999 with a cast of 17 and sold 150 tickets for the two-show format. This year, there are more than 75 participants and tickets sales are expected to break 1,200 for a three-show series.
The production is open to everyone in the college community, and everyone has a job to do. No one is ever turned away, and while there have been changes over the past 10 years, the mission of the show remains the same.
“If we have the money and have deserving students, then we’re going to give out scholarships,” said Sholars.
Puttin’ on the Hits has raised approximately $100,000 for student scholarships during its run, and beginning this year, the fundraiser will expand its reach to include the local business community. Through the Faculty Association, a nonprofit charitable organization has been established for the show as organizers have plans to canvas local businesses for donations.
The scholarships, also coordinated through the Faculty Association, are awarded to students in two different categories—for extra curricular activities and for academic achievement. The number of scholarships varies year to year, depending on the amount raised by the show. Last year, 15 scholarships were given along with three $500 awards to the top Students of Distinction recipients.
Mt. San Antonio College
1100 N. Grand Ave.
Walnut, CA 91789
909.594.5611
www.mtsac.edu