Hearing about the possibility of a snow day is nothing but good news for any student. However, for members of Gretna High School’s show choir, a snow day on Jan. 12 meant having to cancel the massive competition that they host, which helps fund their program.
Between the bitter cold and almost a foot of snow, there was no possibility of school or the competition remaining as is. Friday’s middle school show choir competition was completely canceled and Saturday’s high school competition (Jan. 12) was postponed to the following Monday.
“[It] caused major shifts in which groups were coming, the schedule for the day, our catering orders, parent volunteer times, etc.,” said Katelyn Wallace, varsity show choir director, in an email. “Thanks to a very supportive administration, tons of parents, and our awesome GHS show choir students, we were able to make the event happen. It required a lot of time and energy, but was well worth it in the end.”
Despite this, the building and parking lot was still packed with show choir parents and participants. The event was also described as a success, with both Evolution, the JV show choir, and Revolution, the varsity show choir, putting on smooth performances.
“Primetime was a huge success because we had lots of great show choirs show up on a
Monday and share their shows,” Wallace said. “I thought Revolution had an outstanding
performance, especially considering it was our first time hitting the stage this season.”
It was the first performance of the season for both groups after their premiere was canceled on Monday, Jan. 8, due to a separate snow day. Evolution’s theme this year is chess, while Revolution’s is “One Last Dance.”
“[It] tells the story of a songwriter looking back at his own love story,” Wallace said. “The song ‘One Last Dance’ by Us the Duo is the backbone of our Revolution show. As soon as I heard it, I thought about how it could be broken up into verses and provide a backdrop for a really beautiful show choir show.”
For many Gretna show choir members, Primetime is one of the highlights of their season. It not only serves as a fundraiser for their program, but it also allows them to share their music with other schools, as well as watch the other shows.
“Performing is a lot of fun. I really enjoy it,” sophomore Revolution member Haley Burtwistle said. “It’s something that I’m proud of. We’ve worked so long on it, and we finally got to perform it.”
Students involved in show choir are assigned different roles during Primetime to keep the event running smoothly, as well as parents. They can be found serving food or manning the cash register, hosting other schools, running the warm-up and critique room or answering questions at a help desk.
“I had fun hosting Papio’s all-boys group,” sophomore Revolution member Amelia Onwiler said. “It was fun to see them warm up and then get to perform first.”
Lincoln Southwest took first place at Primetime with their “Chicken Little” inspired show. Millard North and Elkhorn South won second and third place, respectively.
This past weekend, on Jan. 20, Gretna Revolution took top honors at Millard West’s “Music Lives” show choir competition, scoring higher than groups like Omaha Westside and Millard North. Hearing their name called for first place came to a surprise for Revolution members.
“It was cool, because I was the one on the stage accepting the award,” senior Revolution member Libby Turpen said. “I felt really good about our performance, but we placed really poorly in the day-time, so I didn’t know how it was going to go. When they called us as first, the entire gym freaked out, and it was a really surreal experience.”
Each year, show choir members spend days and hours rehearsing and working to perfect their show. They also have to make sacrifices to do so. Because of their efforts this year, the story they are trying to convey will be clear to the audiences they perform for.
“My goal for this year is to leave a lasting impression on every audience that sees our show,” Wallace said. “I also hope that after a year of pouring themselves into the show, the students will truly internalize the idea that life should never be taken for granted.”
