By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Sometimes, less is more.
Fairfield (Ohio)’s Show Choir, the Choraliers, brought the clock tower, the DeLorean and, oh, Doc Brown and Marty McFly to boot.
Mayville, the three-time defending champions at Saturday’s Chocolate City Showcase, just brought themselves – and a powerful message about the choices we make.
In the end, that message was enough to ensure the show choir event – in its fourth year – still only had one champion, and that’s Mayville.
Fairfield’s Choraliers finished second with its effects-laden program, while El Paso Gridley’s Modulations – the runner-up a year ago – took third.
Brodhead took fourth, while Fairfield’s other high school choir – an all-girls group called Pure Elegance that did a “girl power”-themed show based off the idea of the Miss America pageant – took fifth. Rounding out the finals field was Madison East Encore in sixth.
For the first time in the event’s history, the schedule at the Chocolate City Showcase was practically full. So, when delays cropped up due to adjusting the risers for Fairfield – which built its show around a set and props that needed the risers moved – the schedule quickly fell behind.
That didn’t affect the atmosphere during the preliminary competition, though. In fact, it may have helped generate even more energy. With a DJ playing music throughout the various breaks, the various show choirs began dancing around the gymnasium, giving the BHS floor a workout at times.
BHS Principal Eric Burling was thrilled to see such enthusiasm, and guessed that at least 3,000 people were at the event, based on how full the gymnasium was.
And Mayville picked up where it had left off last year. The Cardinal singers have come to town each year with distinctly different themes. Talking about choices, the show used music from “Seussical the Musical” and “Wicked,” and closed with “He Lives In You” from “The Lion King.”
Mayville director Todd Kruger said he sits down each year with his son, Peter, and daughter, Jennifer, to brainstorm ideas for the next year.
“I am blessed to work with two other people,” he said. “We are already working on next year.”
Burlington’s show choir, B*Jazzled, as the host school, performed only in exhibition. The group earned thunderous applause for its “crazy” theme, which opened with “Disturbia” and closed with “You Drive Me Crazy.”
In spite of the unexpected delays, BHS choir director Penny Yanke was happy about the competition.
“We added a few more judges, a bigger, stronger stage and had twice as many groups,” she said. “It was great to see and hear groups from all over the Midwest.”
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