Show choir is coming to Rhode Island. For the first time, a region-wide show choir competition, the Lil’ Rhody Rumble, will be held this Saturday, March 26, at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick. Show choir is an event halfway between a theatrical production and a concert, involving many of the aspects of theatre, yet with an emphasis on the singing and dancing.

While limited on set dressing and costume change, the technical crews still have their hands full during the competitions. 

“Everyone has a different riser setup, so in between performances, whatever school is hosting, and the school that is about to perform, will set up the risers and whatever other set pieces that group will use,” said Dev Tandon, a sophomore member of the technical crew from Bishop Hendricken. The schedule for the day is tight, too, with only 15 minutes between performances. The crew needs to deconstruct the previous team’s riser construction, and rebuild for the following team, as each performs with a different setup to fit their needs.

Interestingly, while the host school is involved in the setup for all performing teams, they do not compete in their home meet and are not eligible for awards, as it can provide an unfair advantage due to the nature of the stage and setup. They do perform, however, as an exhibition during the day. A lot of effort and pride goes into any given performance for a show choir. “We’ve put a lot of work into paramount as a whole, especially as of late with the competitions,” tells Nicolas “Nic” Cappalli, a sophomore performer from Hendricken. Generally, a competition involves a long bus ride, as the teams are from, and compete, throughout New England, getting used to the setup wherever the competition is, getting their costumes ready, performing, and watching the other teams and receiving awards. “It’s very communal,” continues Nic. “My favorite part is obviously doing the performances, but it has to be right before and after. Watching other teams put in their all and receive awards really makes it feel like a community, because there’s no winning or losing in show choir.”

The competition will run from 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, March 26, until awards are handed out at 8:00 P.M. Tickets are $20, are valid for the entire day, and can be purchased from the “Arts” tab, under “Campus Life” on Bishop Hendricken’s website.