Stage Door News
Stage Door News
TORONTO, April 5, 2016 – The 6th annual, highly regarded and much anticipated Show Choir Canada Championships and Show Choir Canada Junior Championships return to Toronto, Friday April 15th, and Saturday April 16th 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Both events will be hosted by dancers, actors and The Family Channel’s “The Next Step” newcomer stars, Shelby Bain (Amy) and Isaiah Peck (Henry).
Toronto lovers of song and dance, and audiences of all ages are invited to experience the annual cultural phenomenon taking the competitive show choir and arts worlds by storm, the subject matter for the 2015 Canadian Screen Award-winning, highly successful TVO documentary “UNSUNG: Behind The Glee.”
Since 2011, Show Choir Canada has been responsible for:
•Hosting over 100 choirs, competing on professional stages in Toronto
•Welcoming over 2,500 student performers and musicians
•Inviting 24 international judges from across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom
•Providing over $110,000 in prizing to top show choirs
•Handing out over 27 scholarships to the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts (valued over $20,000)
•
“The first five years of our Championship competitions have provided an incredible first chapter for show choir in Canada,” said George Randolph, Co-Founder and Executive Producer. “Year after year we continue to be encouraged by the growth of this incredible, competitive and skilled art form and how schools and communities across our country have embraced show choir to compete against the best of the best around the world. Our Championship competitions have become the biggest events of the year – the future is bright!”
Open to choirs from around the world, this year’s Show Choir Canada Championships will feature ten of Canada’s most impressive show choirs from Ontario and Quebec. Competitors in 2016 will include three new community show choirs (from Ottawa, Woodbridge and Milton), who will be making their Show Choir Canada debut.
In 2015, Show Choir Canada successfully opened its Championship format to welcome community groups of high-school aged performers in the “Arts School/Community” division for the first time, in which community show choir KW Glee was named Champion. Other returning Championship divisions include: Non-Arts, Large Ensemble and Small Ensemble. A pre-competitive division is being planned for 2017.
2016 special guest performers will include: the Wexford Gleeks, Show Choir Canada’s inaugural 2011 National Champions; “The Next Step” stars Shelby Bain and Isaiah Peck, and Jahlen Barns, a Show Choir Canada alumni, and current Shaw Festival performer.
Show Choirs will vie for equipment from new Show Choir Canada prizing sponsor Roland Canada, a world leader in the design, manufacturing and distribution of electronic musical instruments, professional audio equipment, multimedia products and music accessories. Also up for grabs are sought-after individual scholarships to the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and most importantly, the prestigious title and bragging rights of “2016 Show Choir Canada Champions” in a one-chance to win Championship.
As in past years, a judging panel consisting of top industry experts from across North America will assess the competitors and provide live feedback, with awards and prizes given for the top choirs and bands, as well as recognition for individual performers. Show Choir Canada welcomes David Connolly, Terry Hudson, Susan Moninger and Elaine Overholt as 2016’s adjudicating panel.
Also returning for the fifth year will be the Show Choir Canada Junior Championships, where four junior-aged show choirs – the future of the performing arts – will take to the stage. New for 2016, the Junior Championships have expanded to welcome community groups of Grades 4-8 performers. Juniors will perform and compete in front of adjudicators, and receive valuable feedback with prizing and scholarship opportunities, in the evening of April 15, 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
In addition to the annual Championship competition, throughout the year Show Choir Canada has focused on continued education, expanding resources and support for music educators – the foundation of show choirs – through a series of free workshops.
“Behind every great show choir is a music educator, who passionately gives themselves, sacrifices their time and is committed to education and excellence, in the name of the arts for their students,” said Peter da Costa, Co-Founder and Executive Producer. “At Show Choir Canada, we provide not only opportunities for students to showcase their talents, but also equally support the incredible individuals, teachers, directors, choreographers, band leaders and the people behind the final product on our stage. Going back to our mission, you can’t develop great show choirs without their leaders!”
On April 16, 2016, prior to the Championship competition, Show Choir Canada will offer a free, 90-minute workshop, led by David Connolly entitled “The X, Y, Glees of a Winning Show Choir” for any educators interested in developing a show choir at their school, or taking their pre-existing show choir to the next competitive level. Additional information and registration is available through the Show Choir Canada website: www.ShowChoirCanada.com.
2016 SHOW CHOIR CANADA
Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 190 Princes' Blvd, Toronto
Show Choir Canada Junior Championships:
April 15, 2016 6PM – 8:15PM, Doors open 5:30PM
Tickets On Sale Now: $30 (advance), $35 (at door)
Show Choir Canada Championships: April 16, 2016
12PM – 8:45PM, Doors open 11:30AM, 4:30PM and 7:30PM
Tickets On Sale Now: $30/session (advance), $50 VIP Pass (advance)
$35/session (at door)
To order Tickets for all Show Choir Canada events:
By Phone: 1-800-656-0713
Online: www.ShowChoirCanada.com “Tickets”
In Person (day of): Queen Elizabeth Theatre
More information, including full schedule and adjudicator bios, can be found online at www.ShowChoirCanada.com or by calling 1-877-90GLEEK.
About SHOW CHOIR CANADA:
Show Choir Canada’s mission is to play a vital role in the development and support of show choirs in Canada by creating opportunities, including live competition-format presentations, that inspire youth participants to not only work together through song and dance to achieve a common goal of excellence but also grown and develop as individuals while sharing in the creative process.Since 2011, Show Choir Canada has given Canadian show choir students opportunities to perform in professional theatres, in front of enthusiastic audiences and expert adjudicators, with each competition featuring awards and prizes for top choirs and outstanding individual performers. Show Choir Canada is presented by professionals in the performing arts industry; The Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, which trains Canada’s Triple Threat talent, and da Costa Talent Management, which represents some of Canada’s leading actors, dancers, singers, and world-class choreographers.
For more information visit www.showchoircanada.com or call 1-877-90GLEEK
Connect with SHOW CHOIR CANADA:
Facebook: Show Choir Canada
Twitter: @ShowChoirCanada
Instagram: @ShowChoirCanada
#SCCChamps2016 #SCCJrs2016
YouTube: Show Choir Canada
Watch the 2015 Canadian Screen Award-winning TVO Documentary featuring Show Choir Canada,
“UNSUNG: BEHIND THE GLEE”
2016-04-05
Toronto: The Show Choir Canada Championships return to Toronto April 15-16