Opener, consisting of performances from four ensembles, salutes 50 years of show choir on Tuesday, Nov. 22 in Pickard auditorium.

“We started working with the band and our set is coming along great!” Vintage member Ella Mainville said.

Opener’s four ensembles include Vintage, Act II, Touch of Class and the Jazz Ensemble. Anyone interested in seeing these talented students perform is welcome to enjoy the free show. Preceding the show attendees are invited to enjoy a pasta dinner catered by Festival Foods; tickets are required to attend the dinner and can be purchased for $14. The members of Vintage that put on the pasta dinner encourage students to come and enjoy the dinner and show.

According to Mainville, Vintage feels prepared for Opener and cannot wait to share their theme — Get loud. After two years of complying with COVID-19 restrictions, the group finally has a sense of normalcy and is ready to put on a performance similar to those of the past.

Additionally, freshman Act II member Violet Swardenski confirmed that Act II is both prepared and “excited” for Opener.

Act II’s set will feature a variety of music and dancing pertaining to their theme — game show. The musical group will sing and dance through the decades, taking the audience along as they perform songs from the past.

This year marks the 50-year anniversary of Vintage and Act II show choirs.

To mark this monumental occasion, Vintage plans on surprising the audience with costumes. With this 50-year milestone, Neenah joins Wisconsin’s long-standing history of show choirs. In fact, The University of Wisconsin Singers, formed in 1967, became one of the earliest show choir groups in the nation. Now, according to the University of Wisconsin Singers, they perform for more than 50,000 people per year.

After Opener, Vintage and Act II will go on to compete at multiple show choir competitions around the state. Opener provides them with a chance to perform their sets for the first time in front of an audience, making it an important and thrilling night for all of Vintage and Act II.

Members of Vintage, Act II, Touch of Class and the Jazz Ensemble have all put in countless hours of work to create an unforgettable performance.

The ensembles urge the community to enjoy the show.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Opener throughout the past 50 years