Shea swan song seeking singers

Andrew Garib, METRO New York | Link | PDF | MIDTOWN. Thomas McLean, 66, of the Bronx, was first in line for the New York Mets anthem contest, the search to find five talents who would sing the national anthem at home games this season. Was he nervous? “No, not really,” McLean said.

Nearly 300 people of all shapes, sizes and colors — in wheelchairs, yarmulkes and Muslim headscarves — lined up at SNY Studios on 51st Street yesterday from as early as 4 a.m. to get last licks in Shea Stadium’s last season. McLean sang a raspy blues tune before the three judges, a setup reminiscent of American Idol, but without Simon Cowell. “That was very nice,” said Gary Apple, judge and anchor for SNY’s SportsNite.

This year, panelist Michael Amante said, the singers were either “way up there, or just brutal.”

Amante, himself a singer, asked one contestant (in the latter group) how she could sing with a tongue ring. She said she didn’t notice it. “I do,” he replied. The contestants sang everything from showtunes to Latin hymns. Sarah Chammas, 25, of New Jersey, stole the show with her operatic voice. The judges said her performance from “La Bohème” was “absolutely beautiful.” End.

When I asked him if he was nervous, Thomas McLean happened to be scuffing his feet like a cross-country skier. I had to take his word for it when he answered “No.” That bit of colour unfortunately didn’t make print.

Published 08.03.27 02:00:00 -0500 GMT | Posted by Andrew Garib on 08.03.27 | |