Show choir
Encyclopedia
A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.
in 1962 and followed by Up with People
in 1968, traveled extensively throughout the country in the 1960s and 1970s, performing what could be called the show choir concept. When students and directors of the day saw these organizations, they would, in turn, start similar groups at their high schools.
Two collegiate groups which also influenced the show choir idiom are Indiana University
's Singing Hoosiers and the University Singers of Ball State University
. These groups are credited as catalysts for the proliferation of swing choir/show choir groups in the Midwest during the 1970s. At the time, both groups took part in extended performance tours of the United States as well as international locations.
Mentor, Ohio's High School "Top 25" show choir was founded by music educator and choral director Theodore Hieronymous in 1965 and is still performing today. The first high school swing choir invitational in the world was held during the 1974 school year at Bishop Luers High School
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, hosted by the school's swing choir, The Minstrels. The Minstrels felt they and other young groups might learn and profit by observing some of the area's most distinguished song and dance choirs performing in an open competition. They felt it would help stimulate a wider interest in and appreciation for swing choirs by making it possible for many groups to perform the same day before a large audience.
Marion High School (Indiana)
's "The 26th Street Singers," under the direction of teacher F. Ritchie Walton, introduced a new brand of song and dance at the competition. Instead of the swing choir traditional of standing still through songs, with drum-break dance transitions between songs, The 26th Street Singers performed a full set of songs, fully choreographed with modern, tap and other dance styles, each song setting up the next in sequence. Walton's innovations led the group to take the trophy in 1974 at Bishop Luers, and he has been attributed by many as being "the father" of the high school show choir movement, influencing groups to transition from "swing choir" to "show choir" as a genre'.
The 1974 Bishop Luers idea worked so well that the following year saw double the number of high school groups invited to the contest, several showing up with adaptations in style known today as specifically "show choir." In 1976, The Ambassadors of Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana took the championship trophy after a two-year run by The 26th Street Singers, and the competition grew more and more in popularity and competitiveness. By 1979, twenty show choirs from around the Midwest accepted the challenge of coming to Fort Wayne to compete for trophies and medals. That year, more than 600 students and 1,500 parents attended the contest.
The local PBS station broadcast the early years of the Luers Midwest Swing Choir Invitational, and in 1983 the program aired on PBS stations around the country. That led to international exposure and growth in show choir competitions around the country. Today, a large number of competitions are held at high schools and other venues throughout the nation from November through April.
activity based in the United States
. It is a continually evolving art form, however, and show choir is regularly expanding to new areas. Many middle school
s and junior high schools now have their own show choir as well, particularly throughout the American Midwest. This expansion into the younger grade schools have influenced many districts in less-populated areas to add a show choir experience into their music departments.
Show choirs traditionally wear a costume
, though the definition of what is considered a costume in show choir is very broad and ranges from jeans
and a t-shirt
to extravagant period costumes or flashy dance-wear. It can be very conservative (such as tuxedos and ball gown
s) or very edgy (such as modern or revealing clothing). Additionally, many larger show choirs include two or more costumes in their show. Participants typically wear stage makeup and shoes conducive to dancing (often "character shoes"). From the costumes to the stage makeup, show choir members all look uniform during most shows.
The choir usually has a backup band (or "combo," if it includes horns) providing instrumental music to complement the voices. The instrumentation varies from song to song, but a common show choir band consists of guitar, bass, drums, trumpets, trombone, alto sax, tenor sax, piano, and synthesizer. Many larger show choirs typically have a larger combo to accompany them. The band is usually out of sight, however some band members do come out on stage and are featured during the show.
The amount of props
varies between choirs: some may have a large number to enhance the visual aspect of a show, while other groups use none at all. Similarly, some show choirs use basic theatrical lighting changes while others do not. The duties of caring for and distributing the props may be the responsibility of a technical crew. These are generally fellow students, and nearly always are dressed in black so as to remain hidden from audience view. This technical (or "tech") crew may distribute the props while on or off stage, and may, if the music or choreography so dictate, include distributing the props as part of the show (examples: by acting as a character, dancing with the performers, or in an appropriate costume.)
Aside from choreographed dance movement, body language plays a key role in a show choir performance. Many show choir directors encourage the use of "facials;" expressive movements of the face that assist in conveying the message of the song being performed. Facials may include dramatic representations of smiling, frowning, looks of surprise, or other emotive responses.
Competitions can be as small as a showcase of a few groups from the immediate geographic area or they can feature many groups from multiple states. Because of the vast difference in sizes of the competitions, they can last a single afternoon or span an entire weekend. Competitions may separate competing choirs into different divisions. These divisions are often determined by age, skill level, size of the school or choir, and/or gender of the participants. The different divisions may take place at a different time, day, or at a different location or venue, though usually within the same school or close geographic area.
Some states' high school music associations require that a competition be sanctioned by their guidelines. In some states - most notably Iowa - if competitions are held without a sanction, the host school or district can lose privileges from the music association for a number of years. Due to the differences in rules between state music associations, controversies can arise stemming from rule violations that may not have been made clear.
Although competitions are a showcase for the arts, they also function as fundraising events for the group who hosts. Show choir competitions can bring in very large amounts of profit if well-planned, well-publicized, and well-attended by performing groups and spectators. Because many competitions can run an entire day or more, most competitions offer concessions for sale and take in profit from those sales as well. These profits go directly to support the group, while the events are run by volunteers from the host school. The largest of show choir competitions can draw between 3,000 and 7,000 spectators over the course of the event.
Whereas competitions reward groups based on their performances, another kind of show choir format exists called a "festival." Sometimes the term festival is used incorrectly when referencing a competition or a non-competitive event, as the traditional festival usually has a rating system for each choir (versus a traditional head-to-head competition).
For approximately the past 25 years, "National Competitions" have become a prized destination for many show choirs. These events, typically held in a tourist destination such as Orlando, Florida
; Nashville, Tennessee
; Hollywood, California; Branson, Missouri
; Chicago, Illinois or New York City
draw choirs from all over the nation and offer the opportunity for groups to compete against other choirs from outside their normal circuits. These competitions are hosted by for-profit companies (not affiliated with any high school) that sell complete trips and packages to the participating choirs. These competitions are generally hosted in state-of-the-art venues with professional stage, lighting and sound. Some of these events offer a performance from a designated "host choir" as well, though their duties are usually little more than an exhibition (non-competitive) performance for the competing groups. Choirs who take home top honors at a "national competition" often like to declare that they are the "Best in the Nation,", though no such award exists from any official governing body. Some national competitions include: Show Choir Nationals, FAME Events, Showstoppers (now defunct), and Finale Nationals.
where only students with acceptable singing and dancing ability can join. A fee is also usually involved to cover the high expenses of travel and wardrobe (see technical aspect), as well as the services of professionals, such as arrangers and/or choreographers. Show choirs may practice during school hours, outside of school hours, or a combination of the two depending on the level of support from the associated school. Show choirs, like any activity, require dedication and practice to improve performance.
In some places, there are also community show choirs which are not associated with any particular school. While these types of groups are much more rare, they follow much of the same structure as that of their school counterparts. There is some controversy about community show choirs, however, as they are often accused of "draining" kids away from their own school programs, leaving both groups with a compromised roster both in number and in talent. However, because community show choirs often do not have to adhere to the strict rules of a school district, they are often more free to push the creative envelope on stage.
Within a song, vocal lines typically alternate between unison or octave singing, and two-or-more-part polyphonic harmony. Songs are chosen, adapted, and arranged from a variety of sources including popular music, jazz standards, and Broadway musicals, but rarely make use of classical music
. Original music has also been performed by a very small number of groups. Additionally, there is often at least one solo
in each performance by a standout singer in the group.
Competitive performance sets range in length, but are usually timed to total just under seventeen minutes on the West Coast and twenty minutes in the other regions. Shows consist of, but are not limited to, approximately five songs.
network MTV
announced in October 2006 that it would tape an eight-episode reality TV series, Show Choir, following Morgantown, West Virginia
's Morgantown High School show choir. The show was scheduled to premiere Spring 2007. It has yet to air, and no plans have been announced to reschedule that program.
In Nickelodeon's Spectacular!
, the main character, Nikko, joins a show choir.
Show Choir! - The Musical by Mark McDaniels and Donald Garverick made its premiere at the 2007 New York International Fringe Festival. The original musical comedy was awarded two awards for Overall Excellence. There was a subsequent staged reading in 2008 and in 2010, the show played a sold out run at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
Airing 2009-Present on the Fox
network, Glee
, is a musical-comedy about a show choir, the "New Directions", from McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. While the town is real, the choir and school are fictional. The show has received generally favorable reviews.
In November 2009, the television series Rachael Ray
featured the Wilmingtones Show Choir of Wilmington High School
in Wilmington, Ohio
, as a part of the Thanksgiving on Main Street special chronicling the lives of those affected by the DHL
crisis.
In 2009, MTV visited Showchoir Camps of America for a week to do research and ended up shooting a pilot for a new potential reality show. Twenty two students from different states and schools were picked to be featured in the pilot during the week the camp was held. The group was called "The Gifted Others." This pilot set-up and helped create the show concept for MTV's reality show, "MADE: The Real Show Choir."
In January 2010, Lawrence Central High School's "Central Sound" from Indianapolis, Indiana was featured on MTV's "MADE: The Real Show Choir" as they prepared to compete at FAME Events' Chicago competition.
In April 2010, John Burroughs High School's "Powerhouse" from Burbank, California performed on the Oprah Winfrey Show on an episode featuring the cast of Glee.
Many newspapers and news networks across the U.S wrote articles focused on the similarities and differences between Glee and the real world of show choir they portrayed. Interviews were conducted in multiple states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois and Ohio.
In October 2010, Parade magazine featured an article centering around Waubonsie Valley High School
's "Sound Check" (IL) show choir, detailing similarities and differences to the nation's top show choirs and Glee. Other Schools noted by Parade were: Totino-Grace High School
's "Company of Singers" (MN), DeKalb High School
's "Classic Connection" (IN), and Clinton High School
's "Attache" (MS). Parade Magazine held a nationwide competition for America's Favorite Show Choir, in which the public voted. Touch of Class from Chantilly, VA won the competition.
History
Show choir traces its origins as an activity in the United States during the mid-1960s, though cultural historians have been unable to determine the date and location of the first "true" show choir group. Two groups of touring performers, starting with The Young AmericansThe Young Americans
The Young Americans is a non-profit organization and performing group based in Southern California. First founded in 1962 by Milton C. Anderson, the group is credited with being the first show choir in America, mixing choreography with choral singing...
in 1962 and followed by Up with People
Up with People
Up with People is an international education organization founded in 1968 by J. Blanton Belk, building from roots in the similar "Sing-Out" program of 1965. Up With People is best known for their musical performances by international casts consisting of 70–100 students from, on average, 20...
in 1968, traveled extensively throughout the country in the 1960s and 1970s, performing what could be called the show choir concept. When students and directors of the day saw these organizations, they would, in turn, start similar groups at their high schools.
Two collegiate groups which also influenced the show choir idiom are Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
's Singing Hoosiers and the University Singers of Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
. These groups are credited as catalysts for the proliferation of swing choir/show choir groups in the Midwest during the 1970s. At the time, both groups took part in extended performance tours of the United States as well as international locations.
Mentor, Ohio's High School "Top 25" show choir was founded by music educator and choral director Theodore Hieronymous in 1965 and is still performing today. The first high school swing choir invitational in the world was held during the 1974 school year at Bishop Luers High School
Bishop Luers High School
Bishop Luers High School is a Catholic high school located on the south side of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Bishop Luers is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The school was founded in 1958 by the Franciscan Fathers of the Saint John the Baptist Province in...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, hosted by the school's swing choir, The Minstrels. The Minstrels felt they and other young groups might learn and profit by observing some of the area's most distinguished song and dance choirs performing in an open competition. They felt it would help stimulate a wider interest in and appreciation for swing choirs by making it possible for many groups to perform the same day before a large audience.
Marion High School (Indiana)
Marion High School (Indiana)
Marion High School is a high school in Marion, Indiana with more than 1,450 students.- Athletics :The nickname of the students and the athletic teams is the "Giants", and their teams compete in Indiana's North Central Conference...
's "The 26th Street Singers," under the direction of teacher F. Ritchie Walton, introduced a new brand of song and dance at the competition. Instead of the swing choir traditional of standing still through songs, with drum-break dance transitions between songs, The 26th Street Singers performed a full set of songs, fully choreographed with modern, tap and other dance styles, each song setting up the next in sequence. Walton's innovations led the group to take the trophy in 1974 at Bishop Luers, and he has been attributed by many as being "the father" of the high school show choir movement, influencing groups to transition from "swing choir" to "show choir" as a genre'.
The 1974 Bishop Luers idea worked so well that the following year saw double the number of high school groups invited to the contest, several showing up with adaptations in style known today as specifically "show choir." In 1976, The Ambassadors of Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana took the championship trophy after a two-year run by The 26th Street Singers, and the competition grew more and more in popularity and competitiveness. By 1979, twenty show choirs from around the Midwest accepted the challenge of coming to Fort Wayne to compete for trophies and medals. That year, more than 600 students and 1,500 parents attended the contest.
The local PBS station broadcast the early years of the Luers Midwest Swing Choir Invitational, and in 1983 the program aired on PBS stations around the country. That led to international exposure and growth in show choir competitions around the country. Today, a large number of competitions are held at high schools and other venues throughout the nation from November through April.
Location
Show choir is primarily a high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
activity based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a continually evolving art form, however, and show choir is regularly expanding to new areas. Many middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s and junior high schools now have their own show choir as well, particularly throughout the American Midwest. This expansion into the younger grade schools have influenced many districts in less-populated areas to add a show choir experience into their music departments.
Technical aspect
While there is no standard requirement for the number of performers, show choirs typically contain between 30 and 60 singer/dancers.Show choirs traditionally wear a costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
, though the definition of what is considered a costume in show choir is very broad and ranges from jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
and a t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
to extravagant period costumes or flashy dance-wear. It can be very conservative (such as tuxedos and ball gown
Ball gown
A ball gown is worn for ballroom dancing and only the most formal social occasions according to rules of etiquette. It is traditionally a full-skirted gown reaching at least to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric, delicately and exotically trimmed. Most versions are cut off the shoulder with...
s) or very edgy (such as modern or revealing clothing). Additionally, many larger show choirs include two or more costumes in their show. Participants typically wear stage makeup and shoes conducive to dancing (often "character shoes"). From the costumes to the stage makeup, show choir members all look uniform during most shows.
The choir usually has a backup band (or "combo," if it includes horns) providing instrumental music to complement the voices. The instrumentation varies from song to song, but a common show choir band consists of guitar, bass, drums, trumpets, trombone, alto sax, tenor sax, piano, and synthesizer. Many larger show choirs typically have a larger combo to accompany them. The band is usually out of sight, however some band members do come out on stage and are featured during the show.
The amount of props
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
varies between choirs: some may have a large number to enhance the visual aspect of a show, while other groups use none at all. Similarly, some show choirs use basic theatrical lighting changes while others do not. The duties of caring for and distributing the props may be the responsibility of a technical crew. These are generally fellow students, and nearly always are dressed in black so as to remain hidden from audience view. This technical (or "tech") crew may distribute the props while on or off stage, and may, if the music or choreography so dictate, include distributing the props as part of the show (examples: by acting as a character, dancing with the performers, or in an appropriate costume.)
Aside from choreographed dance movement, body language plays a key role in a show choir performance. Many show choir directors encourage the use of "facials;" expressive movements of the face that assist in conveying the message of the song being performed. Facials may include dramatic representations of smiling, frowning, looks of surprise, or other emotive responses.
Competitions
Many show choirs participate in competitions, sometimes called "invitationals" (though most are not invitation-only events). These competitions are often held at the high school where the "host group" attends, though some events are held at auditoriums or other facilities that can accommodate larger crowds and provide better acoustic performance. The show choir hosts usually do not compete in their own competitions as it is considered an inappropriate conflict of interest. However, they will typically perform a non-competitive "exhibition show."Competitions can be as small as a showcase of a few groups from the immediate geographic area or they can feature many groups from multiple states. Because of the vast difference in sizes of the competitions, they can last a single afternoon or span an entire weekend. Competitions may separate competing choirs into different divisions. These divisions are often determined by age, skill level, size of the school or choir, and/or gender of the participants. The different divisions may take place at a different time, day, or at a different location or venue, though usually within the same school or close geographic area.
Some states' high school music associations require that a competition be sanctioned by their guidelines. In some states - most notably Iowa - if competitions are held without a sanction, the host school or district can lose privileges from the music association for a number of years. Due to the differences in rules between state music associations, controversies can arise stemming from rule violations that may not have been made clear.
Although competitions are a showcase for the arts, they also function as fundraising events for the group who hosts. Show choir competitions can bring in very large amounts of profit if well-planned, well-publicized, and well-attended by performing groups and spectators. Because many competitions can run an entire day or more, most competitions offer concessions for sale and take in profit from those sales as well. These profits go directly to support the group, while the events are run by volunteers from the host school. The largest of show choir competitions can draw between 3,000 and 7,000 spectators over the course of the event.
Whereas competitions reward groups based on their performances, another kind of show choir format exists called a "festival." Sometimes the term festival is used incorrectly when referencing a competition or a non-competitive event, as the traditional festival usually has a rating system for each choir (versus a traditional head-to-head competition).
For approximately the past 25 years, "National Competitions" have become a prized destination for many show choirs. These events, typically held in a tourist destination such as Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
; Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
; Hollywood, California; Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
; Chicago, Illinois or New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
draw choirs from all over the nation and offer the opportunity for groups to compete against other choirs from outside their normal circuits. These competitions are hosted by for-profit companies (not affiliated with any high school) that sell complete trips and packages to the participating choirs. These competitions are generally hosted in state-of-the-art venues with professional stage, lighting and sound. Some of these events offer a performance from a designated "host choir" as well, though their duties are usually little more than an exhibition (non-competitive) performance for the competing groups. Choirs who take home top honors at a "national competition" often like to declare that they are the "Best in the Nation,", though no such award exists from any official governing body. Some national competitions include: Show Choir Nationals, FAME Events, Showstoppers (now defunct), and Finale Nationals.
Eligibility requirements
Many show choir members are selected by auditionAudition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
where only students with acceptable singing and dancing ability can join. A fee is also usually involved to cover the high expenses of travel and wardrobe (see technical aspect), as well as the services of professionals, such as arrangers and/or choreographers. Show choirs may practice during school hours, outside of school hours, or a combination of the two depending on the level of support from the associated school. Show choirs, like any activity, require dedication and practice to improve performance.
In some places, there are also community show choirs which are not associated with any particular school. While these types of groups are much more rare, they follow much of the same structure as that of their school counterparts. There is some controversy about community show choirs, however, as they are often accused of "draining" kids away from their own school programs, leaving both groups with a compromised roster both in number and in talent. However, because community show choirs often do not have to adhere to the strict rules of a school district, they are often more free to push the creative envelope on stage.
Characteristics of a performance
Most show choir "shows" or "sets" consist of a variety of songs, often including several choreographed, fast-paced pieces and one slower piece performed with limited or no choreography. This slower number - usually a ballad - exists primarily to showcase the ensemble's singing ability. In California, it is a requirement that at least one minute of any one set be sung a cappella (it is usually one full song in the set), though this is not a standard in the rest of the country. More often than not, the a cappella selection is also the ballad, as it is much easier to sing unaccompanied while holding relatively still. In the Midwest, it is becoming popular to set one song aside as a "novelty" piece, designed to make the audience laugh.Within a song, vocal lines typically alternate between unison or octave singing, and two-or-more-part polyphonic harmony. Songs are chosen, adapted, and arranged from a variety of sources including popular music, jazz standards, and Broadway musicals, but rarely make use of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. Original music has also been performed by a very small number of groups. Additionally, there is often at least one solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
in each performance by a standout singer in the group.
Competitive performance sets range in length, but are usually timed to total just under seventeen minutes on the West Coast and twenty minutes in the other regions. Shows consist of, but are not limited to, approximately five songs.
In the media
The cable televisionCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
announced in October 2006 that it would tape an eight-episode reality TV series, Show Choir, following Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
's Morgantown High School show choir. The show was scheduled to premiere Spring 2007. It has yet to air, and no plans have been announced to reschedule that program.
In Nickelodeon's Spectacular!
Spectacular!
Spectacular! is a 2009 Nickelodeon musical TV-movie. It stars singer Nolan Gerard Funk, Australian singer Tammin Sursok, Zoey 101 and Victorious star Victoria Justice, and Simon Curtis. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, it premiered February 16, 2009...
, the main character, Nikko, joins a show choir.
Show Choir! - The Musical by Mark McDaniels and Donald Garverick made its premiere at the 2007 New York International Fringe Festival. The original musical comedy was awarded two awards for Overall Excellence. There was a subsequent staged reading in 2008 and in 2010, the show played a sold out run at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
Airing 2009-Present on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network, Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, is a musical-comedy about a show choir, the "New Directions", from McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. While the town is real, the choir and school are fictional. The show has received generally favorable reviews.
In November 2009, the television series Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray (TV series)
Rachael Ray, also known as The Rachael Ray Show, is a talk show starring Rachael Ray that debuted in syndication in the United States and Canada on September 18, 2006....
featured the Wilmingtones Show Choir of Wilmington High School
Wilmington High School (Ohio)
Wilmington High School is a public high school in Wilmington, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Wilmington City Schools district.Wilmington High School has been rated excellent on the state report card for the past three years...
in Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
, as a part of the Thanksgiving on Main Street special chronicling the lives of those affected by the DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
crisis.
In 2009, MTV visited Showchoir Camps of America for a week to do research and ended up shooting a pilot for a new potential reality show. Twenty two students from different states and schools were picked to be featured in the pilot during the week the camp was held. The group was called "The Gifted Others." This pilot set-up and helped create the show concept for MTV's reality show, "MADE: The Real Show Choir."
In January 2010, Lawrence Central High School's "Central Sound" from Indianapolis, Indiana was featured on MTV's "MADE: The Real Show Choir" as they prepared to compete at FAME Events' Chicago competition.
In April 2010, John Burroughs High School's "Powerhouse" from Burbank, California performed on the Oprah Winfrey Show on an episode featuring the cast of Glee.
Many newspapers and news networks across the U.S wrote articles focused on the similarities and differences between Glee and the real world of show choir they portrayed. Interviews were conducted in multiple states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois and Ohio.
In October 2010, Parade magazine featured an article centering around Waubonsie Valley High School
Waubonsie Valley High School
Waubonsie Valley High School, or WVHS, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Eola Road in Aurora, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
's "Sound Check" (IL) show choir, detailing similarities and differences to the nation's top show choirs and Glee. Other Schools noted by Parade were: Totino-Grace High School
Totino-Grace High School
Totino-Grace High School is a private, Catholic high school in Fridley, Minnesota. Recognizing the key elements of their mission as learning, faith, community, and service, they seek to provide a safe environment that places priority on mutual respect, self-discipline, and acknowledgment of the...
's "Company of Singers" (MN), DeKalb High School
DeKalb High School (Indiana)
DeKalb High School is a public high school in Waterloo, Indiana. It is part of the DeKalb Central United School District. The school is just south of Waterloo, but the majority of its students come from the Auburn area. It shares a campus with DeKalb Middle School and the School District's Office...
's "Classic Connection" (IN), and Clinton High School
Clinton High School (Clinton, Mississippi)
Clinton High School is a secondary school located in Clinton, Mississippi.-Administration :Superintendent: Dr. Phllip G. BurchfieldPrincipal: Dr. Eddie J...
's "Attache" (MS). Parade Magazine held a nationwide competition for America's Favorite Show Choir, in which the public voted. Touch of Class from Chantilly, VA won the competition.
Notable former show choir members
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- TV/Film star - Gavin CreelGavin CreelGavin James Creel is an American actor, singer and song writer.Born in Findlay, Ohio, Creel received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre at the University of Michigan in 1998. Creel, who is openly gay, is a regular on the LGBT RFamilyVacations cruise with Rosie O'Donnell...
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- actress Gossip GirlGossip GirlGossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Seychelle GabrielSeychelle GabrielSeychelle Suzanne Gabriel is an American film and television actress and singer.-Life and career:Gabriel was born in Burbank, California, and is of Mexican descent. She graduated from Burbank High School....
- actress - Mary LouMary LouMary Lou is an American actress. She is known for playing Mary Ferry on the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous.-Career:At age 8, she chose to pursue a career in television and film....
- actress - Dan MillerDan MillerDan Miller may refer to:* Dan Miller , Middleweight fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship* Dan Miller , former Premier of British Columbia* Dan Miller , former member of the U.S...
- O-Town - Jim WaltonJim WaltonJames Carr Walton is the youngest son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and the Chairman of Arvest Bank.With an estimated net worth of around US$21.3 billion, Walton is currently ranked by Forbes as the 20th-richest person in the world....
- Broadway Regular, Lead, 42nd Street - Jill PaiceJill PaiceJill Paice is an American Broadway and theatre actress. Paice attended Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, Ohio, graduating in 1998. She then attended Baldwin-Wallace College, graduating with a bachelor of music in 2002...
- Niki Harris (Curtains), Laura Fairlie (The Woman in White) - Bob WaltonBob WaltonRobert Charles Walton is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 4 games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens.-External links:...
- Broadway Regular Leading Man - Andy Taylor - Fred Waring Show, Walt Disney World Lead
- Heather HeadleyHeather HeadleyHeather Headley is a Trinidadian-American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She has won one Tony Award and one Grammy Award.-Personal life:...
- 2000 Tony Award winning Best Actress in a Musical (Aida) - Jason MrazJason MrazJason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
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) - Eden EspinosaEden EspinosaEden Erica Espinosa is an American singer and stage actress, who is best known for her performances as Elphaba for the Broadway, Los Angeles and San Francisco productions of the musical Wicked....
- Elphaba (Wicked), Maureen (Rent) - Clay AikenClay AikenClayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
- American Idol - Laura LeightonLaura LeightonLaura Leighton is an American actress. She is best-known for the role of Sydney Andrews, introduced in the 1990s television series Melrose Place. She reprised the role in the 2009 series of the same name...
- Melrose Place - TV star - Chris KleinChris Klein (actor)Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
- American Pie, Just Friends