BHS gears up for its second show choir showcase
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff writer
A year ago, the Burlington High School B*Jazzled show choir – and an innumerable amount of support staff – hit the ground running for the first annual Chocolate City Showcase.
And throughout the day-long show choir event at BHS, more went right than it did wrong – capped by an entire auditorium singing and dancing while listening to the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs.
Mayville High School won the first title.
The goal this year? Fix the two minor wobbles – one of which was literal.
“Our stage needed to be a little more sturdy,” said BHS choir director Penny Yanke. “We ran out of food by suppertime, so we ordered a lot more food this year.
“Everything else went well,” she added. “We had a lot of fun. (People) commented on how nice the kids were and how nice the Showcase was.”
It speaks to the quality of the first-ever event and the dedication of students, parents and other supporters that the event went off as smoothly as it did. The goal this year is to better that day. Judging by the level of enthusiasm already present, that probably won’t be an issue.
“We’ve got some great groups coming up,” said Yanke. “Great talent, and I’m excited about hosting it again.”
The second annual Chocolate City Showcase is set for Saturday, Jan. 21, starting at 11 a.m. Eight schools will be represented at the event, including defending champion Mayville – and its junior show choir – as well as Madison East, New London, De Pere, Westosha Central, Eisenhower (Ill.) and Sauk Prairie.
Last year’s runner-up, Green Bay Preble, and the third-place choir, Holmen, were unable to make the event due to scheduling conflicts, though Yanke said she’s hopeful the Showcase will get the two choirs back in the future.
Preble provided some of the best moments last year, as several members of the choir had parents who worked for the Packers’ organization – which was in the process of routing the Falcons 48-21.
“It was just a big kind of party with them throughout the whole event,” said junior Mason Hawes, who was one of the escorts for the Preble choir last year.
Those kind of moments – which included an impromptu mosh pit of sorts with all of the finalists to kill time between the final choir and results being announced – helped define the Chocolate City Showcase last year.
B*Jazzled performed as an exhibition choir at the event – just three years after beginning to compete again as a show choir. The choir will again perform an exhibition at their home invite, but starts its competition this Saturday at Onalaska.
This year’s B*Jazzled group has a good mix of youth and experience. Senior Brenden Novak has been a part of the choir since it began competing again four years ago, and is looking forward to the Showcase.
“I think it’s a really good experience for anyone coming to see our show,” Novak said.
Hawes, meanwhile, is in his third year with the choir. After not initially making the choir as a freshman, he joined the stage crew – then got promoted to the performance squad when another member got sick.
He’s excited about the evolution of the group since he’s joined.
“It’s really amazing, especially seeing it come from where it was before,” Hawes said. “I love the choreography. It’s going to be a great show, once we get everything fine-tuned and make every move as sharp as possible.”
Senior Michaela Peterson, in her second year with the choir, added, “It’s a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it. You feel a big reward when you’re in it. It really feels good when you learn something new.
“I love it.”
And now, after four months of rehearsals and preparation, Yanke said her group is ready – not just to compete, but to find that extra element of electricity on stage that seems to be a regular part of show choir competition.
Now that everyone is in costumes, “That’s when the magic starts to happen on stage and the kids really come into their own and really pull the show together,” Yanke said.
“It’s been a great group to work with,” she added. “A lot of smiles and fun and laughs.”
Or, as sophomore Hannah Anderson explains, “I love it. It’s like home to me almost. I feel like I belong on stage.”
If you go…
What: Chocolate City Showcase, show choir competition.
When: Saturday, Jan. 21, at 11 a.m.,
Where: Burlington High School.
Cost: $10
Schedule: 11 a.m., Mayville Junior; 11:30 a.m., Westosha Central; noon, Eisenhower (Ill.); lunch break; 1:30 p.m., Madison East; 2 p.m., Sauk Prairie; 2:30 p.m., New London; 3 p.m., De Pere; 3:30 p.m., Mayville; 4 p.m., B*Jazzled (BHS, exhibition performance). Soloists will begin performing in the auditorium at 5:45, and finals performances (the top six choirs) begin at 6 p.m.
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