Door County high school students get chance to shine in singing competition, with audience voting
BRUSSELS - After an 11-year absence, a singing competition featuring Door County high school students returns to the Peninsula when "SING, Door County!" is held next Saturday at Southern Door Community Auditorium, with its producers planning it to be an annual event like its predecessor.
"SING, Door County!" will showcase the vocal talents of seven high schoolers from four of the county's five school districts who were selected as finalists following auditions in January. Each will perform two songs during the show and get feedback from a panel of four judges who will vote for a winner.
But the judges won't necessarily have the final say in who wins, because the auditorium audience also gets to vote for their favorite singer, with a combination of judges' and the audience's votes deciding the winner. The first-place singer will receive a $1,500 prize, with the runner-up winning $500.
The "SING, Door County!" contestants are Bekka Porter, a senior at Gibraltar High School; seniors Merrick Mann and Bea Dramm from Sevastopol; junior Justin Gutierrez and sophomore Ashlynn Keel from Sturgeon Bay; and seniors Noah Rass and Maryann Alrand from Southern Door. Each has worked with co-producers Lee Spude and Cory Vandertie, the auditorium's programming director, on song selection, vocals and stage presence for the show. The show emcee is Nick Freimuth of the "Let’s Go Door County!" Facebook page and social media outlet.
"It's just being able to celebrate the talents of our youth in a positive way," Vandertie said in a January interview about the auditorium's season. "We hope it brings communities from throughout all of Door County together. I'm really excited, there's a lot of positive energy."
This isn't the first time a singing competition for high school students on the Peninsula has been staged. Previously, a similar singing contest, "Door County Idol," was produced by Kristy Nelson and held at Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek from 2005 to 2013.
Spude, the 2006 "Idol" winner and a Southern Door High School graduate, got permission from Nelson to create a contest and show along those lines. He said he believes the new show can help contestants pursue their musical dreams with the support of the community.
“'Door County Idol' was one of those experiences that gave me confidence to grow. Even though I didn’t go into a career in professional music, I’ve found a lot of success in my career," Spude said. "('SING, Door County!'), at its root, is all about community. It’s a demonstration of the community supporting the dreams and aspirations of its youth.”
"SING, Door County!" takes place at 7 p.m. April 20 at Southern Door Community Auditorium, on the campus of the Southern Door County School District, 2073 County DK, Brussels. Tickets are $12, $15 and $18. For tickets or more information, call 920-676-1920 or visit southerndoorauditorium.org.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 'SING, Door County!' brings back a local high school singing contest
