By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
A tradition was restored Friday evening as the Crawford County Show Choir Showcase was brought back after being on hiatus.
Programs by the Crestline Royal Blue Express, the Colonel Crawford Vision, the Bucyrus Middle School Vocal Motion, and the Bucyrus High School Players were performed in front of the audience at the Bucyrus Elementary Auditorium.
Bucyrus Director of Choirs Nickie French explained how the event was brought back saying, “Over ten years ago there was a previous director at Bucyrus High School who started the tradition. He invited a bunch of show choirs from around the county, and they would get together at the Bucyrus High School and perform for each other, for their families and for community members. So we had a few directors in between then and it went away for a while, and my students and I decided it would be a good thing to bring back this year.”
The show began with the Crestline Royal Express who opened their set with “Jump to the Rhythm.” The Royal Express followed up that number with “The River” and “Unwritten.” Closing out their set the Royal Express performed the Jimmy Eat World hit “The Middle.” The Royal Blue Express were directed by Julie Murphey.
A short skit followed by Bucyrus Players. In the skit a student is wondering why the other students are conversing with song to which the punch line was “It’s a Show Choir Thing.”
The Colonel Crawford Vision, under the direction of Kaitlyn Fourman, opened their set with the classic “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t Ma Baby.” The Vision followed that tune up with “Point of Light,” “Since U Been Gone,” and “Brother My Brother.” The Vision closed their set with the Michael Jackson hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”
The Bucyrus Players came out once again for a sketch in which the students were making excuses as to why they were late for show choir practice.
The Bucyrus Middle School’s show choir group Vocal Motion took the stage for the third performance of the evening. Directed by Nickie French, Vocal Motion performed Jackson 5 hits “I Want You Back/ABC.” Vocal Motion closed out their set with the decade-spanning “Dance Evolution,” which took the audience on a trip through the decades and some of the most famous dances of each era.
The Bucyrus Players Closed out the show opening their set with “Fly Me to the Moon.” “Shining Star,” “Rocketeer,” and “Written in the Stars” followed in the astronomically themed set. The Players’ female performers left the stage for the guys to perform the song “Space Cowboy,” by N’Sync. After the male vocal performance, it was the Players’ girls taking over for the Bananarama hit “Venus.” The Players closed the show with Smashmouth’s 1997 hit “Walking on the Sun.”
Seneca East, who was scheduled to open the show with an 80’s dance party theme, were unable to perform.