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  Show Choir Community    Events    2013 Season    Mt. Zion Midwest Invitational (Day Two) 2013
   Event Info



January 19th, 2013

Venue Info

Mt. Zion High School
Auditorium
305 S. Henderson St.
Mount Zion, IL 62549

Phone: (217) 864-2363

Event Details

No. of Attending Choirs:

  13 Mixed Groups
  4 Treble Groups

Judges:

  David Moellenkamp

  Katie DiCicco

  Marty DeMott

  Anne Chapman

  Stephen Todd

  Ly Tartell (Solo)

Tickets

Ticket prices unknown.

Map



Mt. Zion Midwest Invitational (Day Two) 2013








Awards
 Predictions
 Photos
 Event Site
 Live Stream


   Finals

  

Groups in order of placement

 The Classics
 Wheaton Warrenville South High School		Grand Champion 
Best Vocals 
Best Choreography 

 Expressions
 Buffalo Grove High School		First Runner Up 
Best Band 

 Great Expectations
 Twinsburg High School		Second Runner Up 

 Riverside Company
 Hastings High School		3rd Runner Up 

 Elite Energy
 Decatur Show Choir Complex		4th Runner Up 

 Delegation
 Danville High School		5th Runner Up 
Best Male Soloist (Christian Cunningham) 


   Mixed Division (Prelims)





   Treble Division

  

Groups

 Contemporaires
 Danville High School		First Place 
Best Vocals 

 Esprit
 Wheaton Warrenville South High School		Second Place 
People's Choice 

 Faces
 Crete-Monee High School		Third Place 

 New Generation
 Sullivan High School		4th Place 
Best Choreography 


   Prep Division

  

Groups

 Soundwave
 Troy Buchanan High School		First Place 
Best Vocals 
Best Choreography 

 Sensations
 Watseka Community High School		Second Place 

 Unlimited
 Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School		Third Place 


   Attending Members displaying 6 of 14 members (view all)  



will.quinn25


RichieRich23


Mikah Ruiz





lovelaina


lb24brt





DamonSmith



51 comments • Sort by

1 2 3 Next



Lily2016 • on Jan 30, 2013, 5:56 PM
Post #51
 
Mt.Zion dads are the BEST!



swingsdad23 • on Jan 22, 2013, 10:56 AM
Post #50
+1
Special thanks to everyone who attended this years Mt Zion Midwest Invitational. As you all know the competition was fierce and everyone was treated to some amazing talent.

It is great to see the discussion regarding the evolving of show choir. As a MTZ parent I have had the pleasure of watching these kids for 7 years and to see how our shows have gone from classic style show choir to the current theme/story mode. There will always be the debate over what is true show choir and what toes that line, but I can honestly say that seeing how our kids have embraced this new style is very promising to me. As our season went on last year, the show evovled more and more each competition, until the very last performance. I expect this year to be no different.

Congrats to WW on a great show as always. It was a pleasure to have all of these amazing show choirs under one roof for the weekend.

Swingsdad23



Get_Ready0203 • on Jan 21, 2013, 11:18 PM
Post #49
+1
Wow, that was fast! Thanks for sharing.

I enjoyed watching it and I think that structurally it's put together very well. The pacing is great and I really like the musical selections - a good balance of old and new, traditional and contemporary styles. It's clear that the trend of doing "story shows" is really starting to take over, and while some groups have faltered with the concept, Wheaton has shown they can do it really well.

It looks like they've taken a cue from Burbank, though, in that the story is primarily focused around a central character and he's front and center nearly the entire time. I've been critical of In Sync for this the last few years and I feel the same way about this show. Certainly that character is a solid performer (that's why he was chosen; I'm assuming this is Dwight's son again?), but the problem is that with a million solos in the set we just end up watching him the whole time. In fact, during the opener, the entire choir literally sits down and stops doing anything while he taps for a good 30 seconds.

To me, show choir is about the ensemble as a whole, not about a "star." In this recent evolution, we've flirted with converting these shows into near mini-musicals (this one even had moments of dialogue to explain things (!))... and while there's nothing wrong musicals themselves, I hope we don't lose the essence of what makes our genre special. Show choir is unique in that it celebrates a choir and their ability to emote the music they sing through dance, and it saddens me that we're heading down a path that - because of the need for "plot points" - shines a light on one or two people and makes the rest of the group feel like supporting players in a cast.

There's a delicate balance here for sure, and as we all know, there is no concrete rule about what a show choir show "should be." It's all up to the interpretation of the director and/or show designer and their imagination. That's actually a very cool thing. And for the overwhelming most part, I am thrilled how show choir has grown in the last decade. The kinds of shows being put on today are blowing the doors off of what's possible creatively and I think are really engaging students in a way they never have before. Perhaps that alone makes all of this worth it. But I am curious what others think... do you like these kind of individual-driven shows? Soloists are great to highlight moments in a song, but does the same person need to sing 8 different songs and have a front center riser spot for the entire duration of the performance?


Great post Haakon. I saw Wheaton live at Mt. Zion on Saturday and thought they did a phenomenal job and I loved the show. I felt as though they deserved every award they received and believe they will do amazing things again this year. They have also become one of my favorite show choirs ever since I first saw them in 2007.

I do agree with your point that show choir is more about the ensemble and not about a singular star. I don't mind the change to stories being told in show choir, but as you mentioned there is a fine line with having a story and changing the feel of a show choir show in general. That line is hard to balance but when done right it can be amazing. When I think of shows that toe that line perfectly I think of Wheaton's Wizard of Oz show last year, Mt. Zion's show last year, and to an extent John Burrough's 2010 Alice in Wonderland show (although it did get solo heavy at times). Those shows gave you central characters but you get the story through the entire ensemble. You focus on the central characters but they don't take away your focus from the entire group and what is going on around those characters. You are still getting the story but you don't lose that flavor of a show choir show rather than mini-musical.

There isn't any set in stone rule for show choir and I may just be holding on to how show choir used to be, but I prefer a story told in a way that it still looks like an old school show choir show with a little twist of having central characters. I do think the story telling will continue to grow in show choir and there will be many trial and errors as groups try to find a way to perfect that balance. Fairfield's show this year comes to mind as they have a show that is definitely a story revolving around central characters. They have kept it so you do not lose the sense of a choir, but there was some disconnect of the story landing with audience (at least it was at Crete-Monee when I saw it). This could be because of a lack of solos that explain the story at times, or could be another reason. I have absolutely no doubt they will find a way to have the story read better but that is a part of trying to find that perfect balance of choir and star/solos. It won't effect their placings as they are an absolutely amazing group in every aspect of show choir, but it is a little thing that could make their show a knock out.

This is like the debate that used to spark over themed and non-themed shows. Groups such as Fairfield (pre Jeff Clark) and Twinsburg had been known to always have some sort of strong theme to their shows. The themes did not revolve around central characters, but all of their songs strongly adhered to a theme. Some example would be when Fairfield did their Coffee or Jail shows, and Twinsburg did Rags to Riches, Perfection, and now Monopoly. When you would see them at competition there would always be talk on if you preferred a show that had a theme or one that was a collection of various songs (or only marginally had a theme).

It is definitely exciting times with the heights that these directors and students are taking show choir to. It will be very interesting to see how the art form continues to grow and what boundaries can continue to be pushed. I can't wait to see how much it grows in the next 10 years or so.



ShowOff21 • on Jan 21, 2013, 10:37 PM
Post #48
+1
Oy. Fortunately, I love every style. Unfortunately, I think it makes judging a little more difficult. I agree with your opinion on wheatons show this year. Last year I thought it was spot on perfect, this year... I felt it crossed over that fine line of showcasing one person.

Burbank I've always loved. I've never felt like the choir was just "back-Up", even with that amazing dancing robot toy guy last year. I was blown away and when he was showcased, the choir was completely involved and in the moment... twas spectacular.

I wasn't crazy about the use of dialogue since its a Choral competition. The audience should either get it without having to be fed additional words and for those who dont, just look at it like a standard show choir show. At fame last year I had to explain John Burrough's show to kids (Personally, I understood every second of it) But! I did enjoy getting to see the students faces when they "got it". It's art at it's finest.

A Story show is much more difficult to put together than a standard show or theme show obviously, and when you see it done brilliantly (ex. Los Al's Harry Potter, WW's Wizard of Oz, Burbank's Mr. Roboto) you feel like you should've paid more for your ticket. I truly enjoy when these directors/choreographers/showdesigners are rewarded for their riskiness and creativity. (And that is why Best Show Design is a brilliant award, though most of the time its scored differently)

Bravo Wheaton on yet another amazing show this year! You, as well as many other groups, set a bar for so many to aspire to achieve.



Häakon • on Jan 21, 2013, 7:59 PM
Post #47
+21
Wheaton 2013 Show
Wow, that was fast! Thanks for sharing.

I enjoyed watching it and I think that structurally it's put together very well. The pacing is great and I really like the musical selections - a good balance of old and new, traditional and contemporary styles. It's clear that the trend of doing "story shows" is really starting to take over, and while some groups have faltered with the concept, Wheaton has shown they can do it really well.

It looks like they've taken a cue from Burbank, though, in that the story is primarily focused around a central character and he's front and center nearly the entire time. I've been critical of In Sync for this the last few years and I feel the same way about this show. Certainly that character is a solid performer (that's why he was chosen; I'm assuming this is Dwight's son again?), but the problem is that with a million solos in the set we just end up watching him the whole time. In fact, during the opener, the entire choir literally sits down and stops doing anything while he taps for a good 30 seconds.

To me, show choir is about the ensemble as a whole, not about a "star." In this recent evolution, we've flirted with converting these shows into near mini-musicals (this one even had moments of dialogue to explain things (!))... and while there's nothing wrong with musicals themselves, I hope we don't lose the essence of what makes our genre special. Show choir is unique in that it celebrates a choir and their ability to emote the music they sing through dance, and it saddens me that we're heading down a path that - because of the need for "plot points" - shines a light on one or two people and makes the rest of the group feel like supporting players in a cast.

There's a delicate balance here for sure, and as we all know, there is no concrete rule about what a show choir show "should be." It's all up to the interpretation of the director and/or show designer and their imagination. That's actually a very cool thing. And for the overwhelming most part, I am thrilled how show choir has grown in the last decade. The kinds of shows being put on today are blowing the doors off of what's possible creatively and I think are really engaging students in a way they never have before. Perhaps that alone makes all of this worth it. But I am curious what others think... do you like these kind of individual-driven shows? Soloists are great to highlight moments in a song, but does the same person need to sing 8 different songs and have a front center riser spot for the entire duration of the performance?



Patrick • on Jan 21, 2013, 4:32 PM
Post #46
 
Wheaton 2013 Show



nbrockamp • on Jan 21, 2013, 3:41 AM
Post #45
+1
Prelim results:
Small division
BC: Troy
BV: troy
2RU:paxton
1Ru: watseka
Gc: troy

Single-Gender
Vocals: danville
Choreo: missed it...
2RU:crete
1RU: wheaton
gc: danville

Open
Peoples choice: wheaton (not the classic)
Best combo: buffallo grove
Best male solo: danville
Besr female: troy
Solo competition winners: kiera lovelace (probably butchered that name) and brian.....

Finals:
Hastings
EEE
Twinsburg
Danville
Buffalo grove
Wheaton
Assisting the captions:
Single-Gender Best Choreography went to Sullivan, who also took 3RU in that division.
Kiera is from Troy, and she also won Best Female Soloist in a show.
Best Male Soloist was Christian Cunningham.

Congrats to everyone! It was a fantastic day.

B

bobatea4me • on Jan 20, 2013, 4:30 AM
Post #44
+3
Results
5ru: danville
4ru: EEE
3ru:hastings
2ru:twinsburg
1ru: BG
Gc: wheaton
Vocals:wheaton
Choreo:wheaton
The Male Solo Competition winner from Buffalo Grove is Brian McCallister.
His performance was really powerful!



Orwellian • on Jan 20, 2013, 2:00 AM (Edited)
Post #43
+3
Congrats to everyone and a big congrats to Twinsburg for representing Ohio this weekend!



Get_Ready0203 • on Jan 20, 2013, 1:34 AM
Post #42
+2
Results
5ru: danville
4ru: EEE
3ru:hastings
2ru:twinsburg
1ru: BG
Gc: wheaton
Vocals:wheaton
Choreo:wheaton

J

[email protected] • on Jan 20, 2013, 1:24 AM
Post #41
+3
My heart hurts waiting for results...

R

Rez2013 • on Jan 19, 2013, 11:46 PM
Post #40
 
Results of finals?



Get_Ready0203 • on Jan 19, 2013, 8:23 PM
Post #39
 
Prelim results:
Small division
BC: Troy
BV: troy
2RU:paxton
1Ru: watseka
Gc: troy

Single-Gender
Vocals: danville
Choreo: missed it...
2RU:crete
1RU: wheaton
gc: danville

Open
Peoples choice: wheaton (not the classic)
Best combo: buffallo grove
Best male solo: danville
Besr female: troy
Solo competition winners: kiera lovelace (probably butchered that name) and brian.....

Finals:
Hastings
EEE
Twinsburg
Danville
Buffalo grove
Wheaton

D

DoubleH • on Jan 19, 2013, 7:54 PM
Post #38
 
Prelim results?

S

SoundwaveSinger13 • on Jan 19, 2013, 6:28 PM
Post #37
 
Predictions:

GC. Wheaton (BV, BC)
1RU. Buffalo Grove
2RU. Troy
3RU. Hastings
4RU. Twinsburg
5RU. EEE

I like Troy do well in this competition, given their success last year. Like everyone else on the thread, I wouldn't be surprised to see Danville / Sullivan to crack finals. There will be a few choirs going home, who would be easily finalists in other competitions. Great job scheduling this one! I think Wheaton sweeps, but still it will be a very competitive competition.



The Ethan Price • on Jan 19, 2013, 7:15 AM
Post #36
 
Predictions:
GC. Wheaton (BV, BC)
1RU. Buffalo Grove (BB)
2RU. Hastings
3RU. EEE
4RU. Twinsburg
5RU. Danville/Troy

Outside of the battle between WWS and BG, I think the last few spots will be a great, very close competition within itself. EEE, Twinsburg, Danville, Troy, Sullivan, etc. All of them could be finals participants based on reputation. It's just going to be who comes ready. Good luck to all groups!

S

showchoir4ever • on Jan 19, 2013, 12:17 AM
Post #35
 
Pretty sure Troy's band is hired. They were last year. That makes them uneligible for that award is that correct?

S

showchoir4ever • on Jan 19, 2013, 12:15 AM
Post #34
 
These are my predictions and only mine. So please dont take offense to them because there was none intended!

GC: Wheaton
1RU: BG
2RU: Hastings
3RU: EEE
4RU: Twinsburg
5RU: Troy

BV: BG
BC: Wheaton
BB: Troy/Wheaton/BG

No body is giving any love to troy. I personally love their shows and they got 2RU at Hastings last year. I competed with Troy, Sullivan, Danville and Cret-Monee between Hastings and Wheatons competitions. I think that the first three on that list hold up real well together but I am gonna give the nod to Troy because of their Band and Vocals.



nbrockamp • on Jan 18, 2013, 12:34 AM
Post #33
 
I better be one of those "old friends" lol oh! Idk if I told you, I'm dragging Nathaniel along so you'll get to see him too! Lol
Lololol nice!



DamonSmith • on Jan 17, 2013, 3:32 AM
Post #32
+1
Hoping this will be a good one - gonna see some old friends and gonna play for three groups!
I better be one of those "old friends" lol oh! Idk if I told you, I'm dragging Nathaniel along so you'll get to see him too! Lol


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