Enjoy show choir showcase hosted by one of the nation’s best

Get ready for two days of exceptional musical entertainment this week featuring more than 20 show choirs from across the region.

The 26th annual Best of Show, hosted by Washington High School, will be Feb. 13-14.

“If you’ve never been to Best of Show, you can expect to see and hear outstanding performances all day long,” said Jeff Spencer, Washington’s director of choral activities.

“I think people are often surprised at the number of people in attendance. We will have our main gym completely full for performance on both Friday and Saturday.”

On Friday night, 10 middle school show choirs will perform along with a feature performance by Washington’s show choir Classic Connection. Twelve high school show choirs and nine jazz choirs will perform on Saturday, along with performances by Washington treble choir Stage Lights and Classic Connection.

“Plus, we have lots of great food options in our cafeteria and a coffee stand to keep you alert,” Spencer said.

New this year, Best of Show will have a 50/50 raffle that will benefit the attending show choir or jazz choir program that the winner has selected on their ticket.

The event is a critical fundraiser for choral programs at Washington High School, which have ranked among the nation’s best.

Last year’s Classic Connection’s performance season ranked No. 78 in the nation, one of only two South Dakota schools to make the top 100.

Classic Connection’s show this year is based on the first season of “Stranger Things.”

“We have bikes that kids ride across stage and some fun lighting effects and video production,” Spencer said.

Song selections include Sunny Side of the Street, The Battle of Yorktown, Lost, Searchlight, Invisible Touch, Both Sides Now, You Will be Found, Monster, This is My World, Irrational Anthem and Livin’ on a Prayer.  

This year’s Stage Lights show theme is “Mirror, Mirror.”

“It’s about overcoming what the Magic Mirror is telling you what is important,” said Christopher Jacobson, assistant choral and show choir director, who directs Stage Lights.

“It’s a high-energy show with some classic songs like Once Upon a Dream and Superstition to some more modern songs like Prisoner and Shatter Me. One of the highlights of the show is when we shatter the Magic Mirror during Shatter Me, and we have two violin soloists on stage.”

There are 119 performers between the two choirs, plus 32 musicians and 12 student helpers.

In the words of the students, the activity is significant:

“To me, show choir feels like a place that I can just be me and not feel like I have to pretend to be the person others think I should be. I can laugh at the things I think are funny and just be me,” one said.

“Show choir is the place where people from all different backgrounds come together to make something awesome,” another student said. “There aren’t expectations of who you are supposed to be; you just get to be you, and that’s what makes it special to me.”

The Best of Show fundraiser “is crucial to allowing our students to continue to be successful in an activity they love,” Jacobson said. “All of our students are able to be a part of the program no matter what their situation is.”‘