Brain & Courtlin were the emcees at a big local event on Saturday!

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson Show Choir Invitational took place this weekend, and Brain and I were two of MANY people in attendance. We were asked to emcee this year's event, and since we are both show choir alumni, there's no way we could turn it down!

The competition kicked off at around 9 a.m. and didn't end until after 11 p.m., so it was a very long day for everyone, but you would never know that looking at the students. I was in absolute awe of their passion and energy (and a little bit jealous, honestly). I know I speak for both Brain and myself when I say that all the performances were incredibly entertaining and the costumes were AWESOME. And don't even get me started on the talent! There were SO MANY fantastic soloists. I was especially blown away by Abby Burns from Dubuque Wahlert, who was the first place soloist. She sang the song "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, one of my favorite musicals, and she hit the notes so well that I started tearing up. Seriously, she could give Idina Menzel a run for her money. It was THAT good.

Here's the list of winners, according to the Jefferson Performing Arts website:

  • 2017 Final Results
    • Grand Champion: Cedar Rapids Kennedy "Happiness, Inc."
    • 1st Runner-up: Dubuque Wahlert "Impact"
    • 2nd Runner-up: DMS Roosevelt "Revelation"
    • 3rd Runner-up: Greater Wichita Area "Flight"
    • 4th Runner-up: Muscatine "River City Rhythm"
    • 5th Runner-up: West Delaware "WD Forte"
    • Best Choreography: Cedar Rapids Kennedy "Happiness, Inc."
    • Best Vocals: Cedar Rapids Kennedy "Happiness, Inc."

We just wanted to show our appreciation to everybody who helped us make it through the day, including Cameron and Hailey who assisted us the whole time. Thanks so much to Cedar Rapids Jefferson for inviting us to emcee the event! We had a blast :)

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