Family Life
The names like Rachel, Finn, Will and Sue Sylvester have become familiar to “Gleeks.”
The Fox show “Glee,” which has its second season premiere Tuesday, follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school glee club from a ragtag group of performers to national champions of the show choir world.
While the fictionalized account of the teen choral scene is a huge hit, it’s the names Kelsey, Lacey, Kyle and Mr. Clark that make up the real world of show choirs in and around Butler County.
“ 'Glee’ is not reality when it comes to high school show choirs, but the show has brought our presence into our high schools, and people now recognize what we do because of it,” said Jeff Clark, director of national show choir champions the Fairfield Choraliers.
The Choraliers have won so many trophies they have run out of room to display them in their practice area, having won eight grand champion titles in the past two years alone.
Even though they’re national champions, the Choraliers aren’t the only successful show choir in the area. For the past 25 years, Hamilton High’s Rhapsody in Blue has competed and entertained students and the community, all while having their own special day declared by the mayor.
“May 21 of this year was the first Rhapsody in Blue day in Hamilton, in honor of our being ambassadors for the community,” said 16-year-old Lacey Prewitt, a performer in the group.
Prewitt said she loves “Glee,” but said the reality of being in show choir includes a lot of hard work, dedication, strict rules and having to be an above average student, qualities which are not portrayed on camera.
In Middletown, 40 students make up the high school show choir Purple Pizzazz, and they perform a rigorous 30-40 shows per year. Most of the students there agree with their counterparts that “Glee” has been great publicity for show choirs in general, but the students don’t think the show offers an accurate portrayal of what their world is all about.
Moved by the music
The show choir starts to sing: “I’m gonna fight ‘em all, a seven-nation army couldn’t hold me back....”
The director interrupts.
“Sing it aggressive! Anything I can do to get you angry I will, to get the song where it needs to be.”
“I’M GONNA FIGHT ’EM ALL.....”
“Better, now, again....”
No, it’s not a scene from the popular Fox TV show, “Glee.” It’s a typical exchange between a local high school show-choir director and several students preparing for competition.
As the school year unfolds, television viewers are anxiously awaiting the second season premiere of “Glee” on Tuesday, Sept. 21, as local high school show choirs are preparing for another year of singing, dancing and entertaining.
“It’s funny, not one of these boys could dance before they came through these doors, and now they do. With ‘Glee,’ I think it further proves that anyone can do many things, and it’s shown that it’s even OK to dance and sing,” said Marsha Minge, director of Middletown High School’s Purple Pizzazz.
Minge said her group is made up of honor students, cheerleaders, and even football players who credit show choir with improving their moves on the playing field — just as the show’s character, Kurt, became the team’s kicker.
“Being a lineman involves a lot of footwork, and show choir has helped me a lot,” said 17-year old Chris Short.
Senior safety Austin Downing and Senior Linebacker Kyle Schwarber agreed with Short, and Schwarber said he actually decided to join the show choir in his freshman year when he saw two other linebackers sing and dance in the choir.
Perception isn’t always reality
Before “Glee,” show choir wasn’t considered cool by most high school students, according to those involved in the various local groups. In the past, athletes and cheerleaders were the only ones thought to be popular, but “Glee” has brought musical drama to the forefront of the high school experience.
“My friends are all smart or athletes, and before ‘Glee,’ they thought show choir members were all flamboyant and they were wrong,” said 16-year old Avery Jennings, a senior and member of the Fairfield High School Choraliers.
Kelsie Davis, 17, also a performer in the group, said that while ‘‘Glee’’ makes show choir look easy, it actually takes a lot of time and hard work.
“It takes a lot more skill than people think, as we practice all the time to learn our songs,” she said.
“I think ‘Glee’ has made more students aware that show choir is tough and it is a big deal,” said the director of Hamilton High’s Rhapsody in Blue, Chrissy Fox.
Fox said that all members of Rhapsody in Blue are competitive, committed to hard work and love to perform on stage.
A family affair
The students also credit “Glee,” which is set in a fictional school in Lima, Ohio, with bringing them closer to their families as many watch the show with their parents or grandparents.
“I watch with my mom, because we both think ‘Glee’ is funny, and she loves it because she’s so into my performances,” said 15-year old Fairfield Choralier member, Beth Endsley.
Sixteen-year old Emma Kirby, a member of Rhapsody in Blue, said she watches the show with her mom so they can bond.
“ ‘Glee’ is really our only way to connect, so we watch it together so we can,” she said.
Seventeen-year old Sara Minge of Middletown’s Purple Pizzazz said she watches with her mom and grandmother since her mother directs the choir and her grandmother loves to talk with her about the show.
Preparing for the future
The long hours and hard work involved in participating in a show choir begin long before the students get to high school. The Hamilton, Fairfield and Middletown districts all have middle school programs that are designed to prepare students for the main choir, and the hours and commitment for the younger kids are just as tough as for the older ones.
“Cutting Edge is made up of seventh- through ninth-graders, and our main goal is for this to be a prep group for Rhapsody in Blue, so we practice hard,” said Hamilton music teacher David Anderson, who co-directs the group with his wife, Kristin.
The group, made up of students from Wilson, Garfield and the Freshman school, performs for elementary schools within the district and participates in various competitions, just like their high school counterparts. The younger students, like the older kids, are also huge fans of “Glee.”
“Obviously we don’t break out in song in class, like they do on ‘Glee,’ but I love the show so much because it combines the music and drama together,” said Cutting Edge member 13-year old Abby Tompkins, an eighth-grader at Garfield.
Fifteen-year-old Chase Engel, a ninth-grader at the Hamilton Freshman school, said he likes the character Kurt on “Glee” because he’s not afraid to be himself.
“I love him because he’s not afraid, and it’s great to be comfortable with yourself,” he said.
About the Author