On Jan. 17, the show choir premiered its 2026 shows for the first time. They had two shows, one at 3:30 and the other at 5. Both groups showcased their all-girl group Stage One, with their show based on Silverstein Academy. Along with their mixed group, showcasing their show that takes place at a train station.
These students have been working on these shows since the beginning of the school year, and the premiere is the first time they get to show people all of the hard work that gets put in.
“Since I am a dance captain during the season, I spend about 1-10 hours a week practicing,” sophomore Rylee Gochenour said.
Both of these shows include the use of props that make the shows come alive.
Stage One, the girl group, uses tables and chairs to dance on. They also use books to add to their dance moves. This show is roughly based on The Dead Poets Society. This show is about a bunch of private school kids who come back for another year of perfection, but their new teacher, Mrs. Keeting, teaches them how to search for their creativity while their principal wants them to strive for excellence. This group learns to test limits and grow, and learn that life is meant to be lived. At the end of the show, they learn that it’s ok to stretch limits and try new things.
“My favorite song is the second song, A Medley of Words by Seinabo Sey and Dreaming by Apollo LTD, because it was what I taught and cleaned, but it’s so much fun to perform, and it is the turning point from a very rigid class to feeling free,” Sage Bucksbee said.
Jordyn Stuart is one of the soloists for this group. She plays Mrs. Keeting; throughout the show, she performed many amazing solos. Some of the other soloists and featured characters are Isabella Niehaus, Amy Millerbernd, Claire Diarrassouba, and Ava Baghman.
“My favorite part of premiere was being able to perform two shows. That way I was able to fix all the mistakes I made in our first show and make them better for the second one!” Gochenour said.
“My favorite thing about premiere was watching all our hard work finally come together and to be able to share the show we put together with the people we care about,” Bucksbee said.
South on Stage, the mixed varsity ensemble has a backdrop, newspapers, and benches. Throughout the show, the benches get moved on and off the stage. Their show includes many different stories that take place in a train station.
“I was so excited to show everyone how much effort we put in this year and also how much different our show is from any others,” freshman Rider Aden said.
“My favorite thing about premiere is that I was able to showcase all the hard work I have put in leading up to this performance season,” junior Cecila Pontiero said.
The show opens with welcoming the audience to the train station. Their second scene is about a love story that takes place in the station. Their third story is about a criminal loose on the train.
“My favorite song to perform is ‘Good Intent/Smooth Criminal’ because I am able to express the most intense emotion in this number,” Pontiero said.
The next story that takes place is about people saying goodbye. “My favorite song is ‘Mudroom,’ our ballad,” Aden said.
“Every single time we sing it, I cry because our arranger explained that when he arranged the song, he thought of it as all of us being in a room that leads to heaven, and we’re all about to meet our loved ones who have passed away,” he said.
This song not only makes the audience get emotional, but also the performers. Then they end the show by showing how united the train station became.
South on Stage has many soloists and special characters. During the song “Until I Found You,” Ryan McConachie has a solo, and Emmy Hlivko plays the love interest and has a dancing solo. Mae Martin, Tia Harris, and Reese Fitzgerald have a dancing trio in the song “Good Intent.” Hannah Sempek, Rylie Wright, and Grace Chaldek have a singing trio, and Reese Fitzgerald also has a solo in Good Intent. During this scene, Blake Chamberlin is the smooth criminal, and Mallory Oswald plays Annie, who is robbed by the criminal. The final solo is in the closer and is performed by Hannah Sempek.
Both shows are backed by the show band called Sonic Boom and a show crew that helps make both of these shows possible. Both of these groups work hard and show the best they can be. Sonic Boom is made up of 19 members. These groups meet most Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as the show choir.
Overall, both shows performed fantastically, as well as Sonic Boom and stage crew. Both groups are so excited to get started on their shows this year and be able to perform at many competitions this year. They are so excited to be able share their show with other groups, judging panels, and their family and friends.
