SHOWCASING TALENT

This year's show choir showcase was on March 7th, at 7:00 pm in the performing arts center at Clear Creek Amana High School. There were seven performances, with smooth transitions in between, with comedic effect by the Masters of Ceremonies (MCs), Seniors Sina Thomas and Ella Chatham. The show choir, musical theatre, and choral reading were all directed by Mrs. Tracy Williams, while the show band was directed by Mrs. Brittany Calloway. The opening number was the speech musical theatre titled Catch Me If You Can, performed by Hayden Bailey, Carson Brandt, Jaidyn Calkins, James Cavanary, Ethan Krieger, Nic Schieltz, Sariah Sherman, and Sina Thomas. Catch Me If You Can is based on the musical by the same name. They performed three songs, “Live in Living Color”, “Jet Set”, and “Stuck Together”. The music and choreography were upbeat and fun. The next number was a solo entitled “Only Hope” performed by Senior Ella Chatham. The song is from the movie A Walk to Remember. Following her, Senior James Cavanary sang “Evermore” from the Beauty and the Beast musical. 

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN GROUP; PHOTO BY TRACY WILLIAMS

The next performance was The Boys of Waterloo. Mrs. Tracy Williams wrote this choral reading herself. This was the third consecutive year where choral reading went to all-state for speech. She knew she wanted to do something related to WWII and got the idea of writing about the Sullivan Brothers from librarian Ms. Berlin. She was inspired after doing some thorough research and brought their story to life on the stage. She was in awe of the Sullivan Brothers’ passion and sacrifice to serve their country, which she said was “worthy of praise.” The boys being from Iowa made it hit extra close to home. Mrs. Williams said, “My students and I really connected emotionally with this piece and we got to see into the lives of the Sullivan family and their love for one another. It truly is a story that changed us!”

THE BOYS OF WATERLOO; PHOTO BY JAIDYN CALKINS

s

The students that performed The Boys of Waterloo were Hayden Bailey, Carson Brandt, Mackenzie Burnett, James Cavanary, Ella Chatham, Ivy Courtright, Grace DeVore, Morgan Downes, Karley Griffin, Makayla Ratliff, Nic Schieltz, Kaylen Schilling, Sariah Sherman, and Logan Weber. This group also won 1st place at the WaMaC conference and received the honor of performing at the All-State competition in the Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University. The costuming and props perfectly set the scene, and the emotional portrayal was heartfelt, genuine, and exceedingly impressive. The group was flawless in their speaking, with sharp pronunciation and volume. They succeeded in speaking as one voice. They went above and beyond with the sound effects when the USS Juneau was under attack. Deservingly so, it received a standing ovation.  

Following choral reading, Mackenzie Burnett sang “I’m Not Afraid of Anything” which is from the musical Songs for a New World. Afterward, Carson Brandt sang “Against All Odds” which is by Phil Collins and he dedicated his performance to his mother. 

Subsequently, there was the Senior Recognition. Seniors involved in show choir and show band were recognized. The Senior Recognition was emotional and sweet. Directors Tracy Williams and Brittany Calloway shared the favorite memories of the graduating seniors. The show choir and show band seniors also presented meaningful gifts to their directors.

The vocal dynamics performance of the show choir, You Are Not Alone, followed. Within the show choir, there were five songs, with the first being “Shadows of the Night”. The second was “Hand in Hand”, Hayden Bailey’s solo. The next song, “It’s Always Been You” was Carson Brandt’s solo. Following that was Ethan Krieger’s solo, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”. The final song performed was Karley Griffin’s solo “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us”. The show band played the music as the show choir performed. It was a dynamic performance with creative choreography, formations with levels, turns, and was a grand way to conclude the showcase. This, too, also earned a standing ovation. 

Overall, the speech groups, show choir, show band, stage crew, and directors all worked hard and came together to create a spectacular showcase filled with talent.