Suburban school choirs shine in showcase
From Lady Gaga to Irving Berlin, musical selections ran the gamut Saturday at the 18th annual Chicagoland Showcase in Arlington Heights. And the audience loved it.
In all, show choirs from 14 high schools — or more than 700 students — competed in the musical showcase that drew thousands of fans to fill the gymnasium at Hersey High School.
Nearly as many people attended Friday night's middle school competition, when the Redcoats from North Ridge Middle School in Danville earned grand champion honors. Runners up included Electric Youth from Edison Junior High in Wheaton and Cadence from St. Isaac Jogue School in Hinsdale, respectively.
Members of the Expressions from Buffalo Grove High School opened their set in a ballroom scene to the familiar strains of “Phantom of the Opera,” before bursting into a high-energy mash-up that combined the Backstreet Boys' “Masquerade” with Lady Gaga's “Poker Face.”
“As the intensity builds, it sort of reels the audience in so that they feel all the passion we have for performing,” said senior Nicolle Von Helms of Arlington Heights.
The Classics from Wheaton Warrenville High School were the last ensemble to perform as the defending champions from last year.
Their guys opened with a Wild West scene as they entered wearing long leather jackets, black cowboy hats and neckerchiefs, singing the Styx song “Renegade.”
A highlight in the set was the duet performed by senior Mary Tehrani and sophomore Jeff Jordan, both of Wheaton, who sang and danced their way through Irving Berlin's “While You're Dancing.”
They closed with a mash-up with the entire company performing a high-powered dance number to “Dance, Dance, Dance,” combined with “Freedom Song.”
“We just like to have fun, and rock it out,” Jordan said.
Prospect High School's Mixed Company called their performance “City Limits,” and it built in excitement toward their closing party song mash-up that paired Jay Sean's “2012” with Usher's “DJ.”
“It's just such an Adrenalin rush, being onstage and performing,” said sophomore Patrick Pfohl of Arlington Heights.
Driving all of the show choirs were their individual combos playing behind them onstage while other students moved their sets and props, all during each group's 25-minute performance.
Sara Michael, Hersey choir director, said the success of the Fox hit TV show “Glee,” and its recent Golden Globe Award for best television series, has heightened the visibility of show choirs, which date back more than 40 years in the Northwest suburbs.
“It's brought show choirs to the forefront,” Michael said. “People appreciate now how much these singers and dancers do to prepare. They're just as committed to this as any athlete.”