After making the semi-finals from the day before (5th place out of 8), Tim wanted the kids to see the no. 1 & 2 groups, just to see what can be learned from their acts. So, right after breakfast, we were off to the Tri-Lakes Center to catch the early shows. We watched with some curiosity and were wondering what they had that we didn’t. Nada! As in not a thing (IMHO). We left the auditorium and found a space away from the public and rehearsed a few things and made some small tweaks to the show (adding harmonies, etc.).
We made ready for our warm up and headed for the warm up room. As the kids gathered there, they began to form a circle and then sang “I am a Child of God”. The spirit in that room was so thick, you could cut it with a knife and it belied the fact that this was a filthy, crummy looking place. There was a power there that was not of this world. A few event helpers came into the room and saw what was happening. They quietly left, not wanting to disturb the spirit there. For all you parents, this was yet another example of how great your children are.
At last it was show time and the kids went out and performed even better than the day before. I was in awe at well they did, thinking that after being up so late the night before, I expected some let-down in energy. Not LIGHT. It just got better and stronger. Some of the parents went out and brought us some BBQ pork sandwiches, baked beans and salad. It was mighty fine eatin’. These kids were really hungry (well . . . so were the adults).
After the eighth show was over, the judges announced the results. Chad, our guest choreographer for LIGHT, was the MC. He drew the three finalists from a hat to see who would go first. The first choir called was from Mesa, Arizona (see video below). The kids were delirious with happiness (and so were a few parents). The other two finalists were Plainsville and Spanish Fork. Since we were drawn first, we were scheduled to perform first, starting at 4:00 pm. The kids wasted no time getting their costumes back on and fixing the hair and makeup, and they still had an hour to go.
Again, we met in the back room for a tune up and some last minute instruction and then we took the stage. Have you noticed that I use the word “we” a lot in my descriptions? Yes, it’s the kids that are performing, but it’s the highly involved parents who are willing themselves to stay in their seats and not jump up and join them and so we feel like they are an extension of us. We would sing and dance next to them if we could, but must content ourselves to watch from the sidelines and cheer them on. To continue my story, “we” took the stage and gave the audience a show that was even better than the last one.
When it was over, we took our seats to watch the others perform. It was obvious that the top three were accurately chosen and we were glad to be in it.
After Spanish Fork finished, we waited for the final results with muted anticipation. Chad came out and started it off with the participation awards. Guess what? Our own Nick was awarded “Best Male Vocalist” and Mitch was awarded “Best Male Stage Presence” and lastly, LIGHT was awarded “Best Diction” (something near and dear to Tim). Then came the results we were waiting for. The 2nd runner up was announced: “LIGHT Entertainment Company”. We jumped for joy and yes, there were a few tears shed. After the kids had put so much into it, it was a bit of a let-down, but like all good performers, they were also good sports and cheered mightily when Spanish Fork was declared the Grand Champions. We congratulated them and were happy for them as many of their cast are dear friends of LIGHT.
After the hoopla was over, we loaded up our stuff and headed back to our rooms to quickly change and get back on the bus with the Branson Belle as our destination. The Branson Belle is a river boat (think Huckleberry Finn) that tours the lake and serves up a dinner and a show. We had a hearty dinner and then were entertained by a group called the “Show Stoppers”. They sang and danced to a variety of themes. There was a couple from Russia who did some aerial stunts to the theme of “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Then there was Todd Oliver and his talking dogs. They were pretty funny. After the show, we headed back to our rooms. The kids, however, were not through. At 11:15 pm, they wanted to have a dance, and so they commandeered an outside pavilion and brought their iPods and danced. (ed. note, if only they could have the same energy when we ask them to do chores) It’s been an awesome day. Your kids really are the best.
We made ready for our warm up and headed for the warm up room. As the kids gathered there, they began to form a circle and then sang “I am a Child of God”. The spirit in that room was so thick, you could cut it with a knife and it belied the fact that this was a filthy, crummy looking place. There was a power there that was not of this world. A few event helpers came into the room and saw what was happening. They quietly left, not wanting to disturb the spirit there. For all you parents, this was yet another example of how great your children are.
At last it was show time and the kids went out and performed even better than the day before. I was in awe at well they did, thinking that after being up so late the night before, I expected some let-down in energy. Not LIGHT. It just got better and stronger. Some of the parents went out and brought us some BBQ pork sandwiches, baked beans and salad. It was mighty fine eatin’. These kids were really hungry (well . . . so were the adults).
After the eighth show was over, the judges announced the results. Chad, our guest choreographer for LIGHT, was the MC. He drew the three finalists from a hat to see who would go first. The first choir called was from Mesa, Arizona (see video below). The kids were delirious with happiness (and so were a few parents). The other two finalists were Plainsville and Spanish Fork. Since we were drawn first, we were scheduled to perform first, starting at 4:00 pm. The kids wasted no time getting their costumes back on and fixing the hair and makeup, and they still had an hour to go.
Again, we met in the back room for a tune up and some last minute instruction and then we took the stage. Have you noticed that I use the word “we” a lot in my descriptions? Yes, it’s the kids that are performing, but it’s the highly involved parents who are willing themselves to stay in their seats and not jump up and join them and so we feel like they are an extension of us. We would sing and dance next to them if we could, but must content ourselves to watch from the sidelines and cheer them on. To continue my story, “we” took the stage and gave the audience a show that was even better than the last one.
When it was over, we took our seats to watch the others perform. It was obvious that the top three were accurately chosen and we were glad to be in it.
After Spanish Fork finished, we waited for the final results with muted anticipation. Chad came out and started it off with the participation awards. Guess what? Our own Nick was awarded “Best Male Vocalist” and Mitch was awarded “Best Male Stage Presence” and lastly, LIGHT was awarded “Best Diction” (something near and dear to Tim). Then came the results we were waiting for. The 2nd runner up was announced: “LIGHT Entertainment Company”. We jumped for joy and yes, there were a few tears shed. After the kids had put so much into it, it was a bit of a let-down, but like all good performers, they were also good sports and cheered mightily when Spanish Fork was declared the Grand Champions. We congratulated them and were happy for them as many of their cast are dear friends of LIGHT.
After the hoopla was over, we loaded up our stuff and headed back to our rooms to quickly change and get back on the bus with the Branson Belle as our destination. The Branson Belle is a river boat (think Huckleberry Finn) that tours the lake and serves up a dinner and a show. We had a hearty dinner and then were entertained by a group called the “Show Stoppers”. They sang and danced to a variety of themes. There was a couple from Russia who did some aerial stunts to the theme of “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Then there was Todd Oliver and his talking dogs. They were pretty funny. After the show, we headed back to our rooms. The kids, however, were not through. At 11:15 pm, they wanted to have a dance, and so they commandeered an outside pavilion and brought their iPods and danced. (ed. note, if only they could have the same energy when we ask them to do chores) It’s been an awesome day. Your kids really are the best.
CIRCLE OF LOVE ANNOUNCING THE FINALISTS
