you
Welcome to our morning show today at WRC or radio for a second.
We could get a chance to put the spotlight on Kickapoo schools and in particular an upcoming event.
They have the fall variety show Royals.
The middle school and high school are putting this on in the studio with us today.
We have Gweny Kelly.
We have Brayden Turgesson, Genesee Sousa and Harlow Flea Hardy and director Catherine Miller.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good to have you in here today.
So this is the year that you do the variety show.
Yes, I'm always excited about this.
The kids get to put their own spin on things that we get to do in the show.
So what's more difficult to do, like a musical, like a Shrek or any of those or the variety show?
I said they're just different.
In a musical, there's a lot more prep, summer prep, like making props and getting costumes and things like that and a lot more after school rehearsals.
But a variety show is more, I would say
like into a soul ensemble where there's lots of like in-school practice happening so.
Does it give more students an opportunity to get involved?
Yes so anybody who wants to do something on the show can choose what they want to do.
This year theme is royals so anything to do with so one of our songs is Kings and Queens or you know royalty like the Beatles or you know so the kids get to
have a lot more choice in what they do and how many events they want to do.
I'm guessing that fires them up because you even have some songs that are almost current, you know, in the thing
too.
Yes.
So they, they can choose anything they want from any era and we have a very wide variety.
So from Louis Armstrong to, you know, what else, modern day.
Wicked, I see.
Yeah, wicked.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that's exciting and you get the middle school involved as well.
Yes, and it's a good way for them to see like what they can do when they get into high school and we're seeing some really big group numbers, which is really fun.
So yeah, getting them involved as well.
What do you do as far as accompaniment?
We have a mixture.
We do partly backtracks and partly we have Mr. Smith on percussion and Patrice Bellman is our accompanist.
So it's a mix of both throughout the show.
Do
you
a lot of practicing after school or at night leading up to it?
The high school does just four big group practices.
So it's definitely not as intense as a regular musical, but we still need to make sure our show solidifies and our transitions are smooth.
And I guess one of the things you've got to coordinate is on and off stage and getting those things done too.
Yep, and lighting and all of those technical aspects.
Yep.
What's the turnout for choir at Kikapu for middle school and high school?
Pretty good.
So middle school is really good.
We have like 50 students in there and high school.
We're a little bit smaller, but I said for our small numbers, you know, we have what 23 in high school choir, but
Um, there's 27 events on the program.
So kids are doing more than one thing and, um, and lots of talent, very, very talented group.
You brought along these students for what reason?
Um, well seniors and, uh, I wanted to represent also our tech crew as well.
So,
and that's, uh, Mr. Turgesson over here
as
well.
So good.
Well, why don't we put the spotlight on him first, the tech guy over here.
So good morning, Braden.
How are you?
Good.
How are you?
Good.
Good to have you in the studio with us.
Tell us about Tech Crew.
How's it going?
So far, Tech Crew's been going good.
I don't think we've had any major issues with light cues or soundtracks or anything like that.
What are you particularly responsible for backstage?
I am responsible for the second act for mics, for sound.
I'll also do, if we have soundtracks, I might, if we add something, I'll play that.
But other than that, Mike's second act.
That's a big responsibility though, isn't it?
Yeah.
Throughout the, in each scene, we kind of have to ride like all different, all the different faders for each mic to see if we can balance them a little better, or if somebody's out of tune, we can usually try and bring them down just a little bit, tune it and bring them back up so that way they're back in tune.
And then, yeah, and then it goes from there.
Hopefully, it all sounds good.
I would have geeked out about something like that in high school.
I mean, is that something that you like to do, like
mixing?
I do like to do it.
The other thing I do is we have a lights guy, but he recently got diagnosed with cancer.
He was only able to make it for one day.
He made cues for us for lights, but I've been kind of going back and forth.
to help change those cues up because last year I did run lights for the musical so I was familiar with that kind of setup before so as long as we had the cues set up I can go and change them as we need it if we need more light or if we want just a little less light I can go ahead and change that right away.
The acting bug and the singing bug that's not bit you yet you want to stay off stage?
I want to stay
off stage as much as possible.
What are some other things you're involved in at Kickapoo?
I do cross-country, track, and trap.
Just this last Saturday we ran at Sectionals and our team placed eighth overall.
I think it was like 18, 17, or 18 teams.
So overall we did pretty good.
You have a nice team there, don't you?
Yeah.
You guys have placed high.
We lost a conference this year to Schuelsberg-Bellmont.
Other than that, we've been strong throughout the season, kind of just pursuing strength throughout the entirety this year.
So.
Do you like running?
I do.
I love running.
Good.
See, I always thought it was a punishment.
No running, running.
It's a good thing to get into for me.
It kind of helps me kind of zone out and be in my own world for a little bit.
Wonderful.
So you're, you're really involved in, in stuff at Kekapu and what about some other things you're interested in when you're not at school?
I'd probably go machine programming or automotive technician if I was to go through that area.
That's kind of where you would go to as far as your career maybe some day as well?
Yep.
And I've talked to people at Western about some of their career paths that way and right now I'm at a Sleepy Hollow class for automotive.
So far it's going so good but we'll see how that ends up.
Yeah, that's really a cool thing there, Landon, in terms of even if you don't go into that field, just having a knowledge of cars and things like that.
It's gonna be helpful, isn't it?
Yeah, for sure.
And I mean, just going for that class, just to kind of get everyday knowledge of what cars, kind of how they operate is a great skill to have, for sure.
Well, this is a good skill too, you know, behind the scenes and things like that and learning that.
Do you ever get the stink eye from somebody on stage if you don't have the mics quite right or anything or?
Haven't
yet.
No.
So you're doing it right.
It's doing it
right so
far.
Good deal.
Well, nice to have you in the studio with us.
Let's, let's move over and talk to Gwennie as well.
Gwennie Kelly is here.
Good morning.
Morning.
And so you're a senior this year.
Yes, I am.
Tell me about your part in, in the Royals production at Kickapoo.
I participate in all of the group numbers and I'm also in one small group and we're performing X wives from the musical six.
Okay, I'm not familiar with that one.
So tell me about which one is your favorite number?
Probably Don't Stop Me Now.
We get to do a whole dance number to our song we're singing.
That's Queen.
Don't Stop Me Now.
So are you in dance?
I am.
Okay, so you appreciate that, the choreography and everything that goes along with that.
That's cool.
So have you been, were you involved in the musical last year?
I was.
What part did you have?
I played sponge.
Okay.
Were you here a year ago or not?
I don't remember that you were here.
I don't think
so.
Okay.
So, but your first appearance on the morning show, we appreciate that.
What are some other things you're involved in?
I'm involved in the drama club at our school.
I am a cheerleader.
I do forensics where I participate in public speaking.
What category?
Poetry.
Poetry.
All right.
Good.
So that season's coming up here before too long as well.
Right.
And what do you love about going to Kickapoo?
What do you like about your school or most proud of?
I'm most proud of our arts department.
It's very much involved and our school is not more sports wise.
It's kind of equal.
So the art students have the same opportunities as athletics get.
Well said.
What about a career?
Have you thought about where you'd like to be next year?
Yes.
Um, I plan to go to college at Stevens point for organizational leadership and I plan to be a director of a nonprofit organization that deals with mental health for teenagers.
My goodness.
So was there an inspiration for that?
Yes.
Okay.
Well, interesting.
That's a good, I'm not, I don't know if I've had anybody say that before.
So that's, I mean, be so specific like that.
So very nice.
And then in terms of this year, it's going by pretty quickly.
Uh, you're trying to savor everything that's going through your senior year.
Yes and no.
Yes and no.
I, I,
Wishing it would go by faster, but I know when I'm older, I'll wish it went by way slower.
Kind of bittersweet there in some ways, right?
So do you like performing?
You like singing and dancing?
Yes, I love acting and dancing.
Are you going to use that in the future?
Like when you go to college, you're still going to try to be involved.
Yes.
Good deal.
Well, nice to meet you.
Thanks for coming in.
Thank you.
Good luck next weekend.
Um, also we have a Genesee Sousa who's here.
Good
morning.
Good morning.
Good to have you in here with us and you're a senior as well.
I understand.
I am.
Yes.
Great.
Have you been involved in Kikbu musicals before?
Yes.
Last year's I played spiker.
Okay.
Spiker.
All right.
And so do you like the musical or do you like the novel or the variety show a little bit better?
Oh, that's a hard decision.
Um,
I love participating in musicals because it's really cohesive and everyone knows exactly what everyone else is going to do.
I love acting so I love the line aspect of it.
But the variety show is really cool because you get to see what other people are really interested in and what
they maybe like to listen to on the weekends or like where their heart lies more so.
So I would say they're just about equal for me.
Interesting.
And what songs will you be singing or performing?
So I am performing two solos this year.
My first solo is Jolene by Dolly Parton.
I really wanted to do a tribute to her.
And then my second solo is a musical theater solo.
It's called A Change in Me from the Musical Beauty and the Beast.
And then I'm also in Six from X Wives.
which is a small group.
And then I'm also in when the chips are down from Hades Town, which is another small group.
Oh boy.
Along with, of course, all the full group choirs,
full group choirs to a lot of songs to learn.
It sounds like
it is.
Yeah.
But I guess it comes pretty easily for me.
I've always been attuned to like music and everything and having an ear for it.
So the words just kind of flow, I guess, through my brain.
So
It warms my heart to hear about songs that I knew like when I was your age or whatever and they're still being sung today.
So Dolly Parton, that's nice that you're doing a tribute to her.
Yeah, she was an amazing person, an amazing singer and I just figured what better time than right now to do that for her.
What are some other things you're involved in at Kickapoo?
Well, I play volleyball, varsity, which was my season ended.
a little while ago, so that was sad for me.
But then I will also be in track and field this spring.
I am in student council.
I'm on the National Honor Society.
Let's see.
I'm in more clubs as well.
I just can't remember them all right now.
I'm in dance as well.
That's separate from school.
And I go to singing lessons as well.
Where do you go to dance classes?
I go to
soul expressions.
Okay.
So you've been doing that for a number of years as well.
Yes,
I have.
Yeah.
Choreography for the variety show is not going to hurt you.
I mean, you know what you're doing.
It would hurt me if I had to do it.
And then what about next year?
You want to be involved in this kind of thing?
I would love to continue like the arts and everything.
I actually plan on probably doing auditions because the school that I'm planning on going to is a technical college.
It's Northeast Wisconsin Technical College up in Green Bay.
So I don't know if they'll really have that much like of an arts program.
I haven't looked into it too much.
But there's always like you can go in and audition at UW-Green Bay and stuff.
So I'm thinking more so of doing that.
But I'm planning to go into a radiology tech degree.
Okay.
Yeah.
Inspiration for that or?
Well, I've actually kind of recently discovered it more so.
Um, I've always loved helping people and, but I always thought that being in the medical field, you had to be okay with like blood and, you know, like all of that kind of stuff, but at least like in this field, you don't really.
So that was really great for me.
Cause then I can still help people and I can still do what
I've kind of always thought that I could do.
And yet I don't have to be in a situation I'm uncomfortable.
Yeah.
Well said.
Yeah.
Good luck with that.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Harlow Flea Hardy is here as well.
Hello.
Last but not least over here.
So tell me about what you'll be involved in with the Kickapoo variety show next
week.
So in the variety show, I think I'm doing about seven like small group.
projects
and then
you're telling me and then along with all of the big like big choir stuff.
So I'm also going to be an ex-wives from six and then I'm doing how about a dance from Bonnie and Clyde and then I'm doing caught in the storm from smash.
I'm doing a duet from Wicked with my friend Maddie.
We're doing what is this feeling and then
Oh goodness.
A small quartet, give my regards to Broadway.
And then I'm doing Meet the Plastics from Mean Girls.
And then along with Genesee, I'm doing When the Chips Are Down from Hades Town.
And I think that's all of
them.
If I
forgot one, that's my bad.
How do you learn about these musicals?
How are you aware of some of these
songs?
Well, my love for musicals actually started, I think.
I think I was seven maybe.
My older sister Delaney, she got introduced to them and she showed me newsies.
And they had like, it was just a very interesting concept because it's just like a movie, but they're singing and it's like on stage and it was just really interesting to watch for the first time.
And since then I've kind of like discovered my own like,
Enjoyment for musicals and stuff.
I've
seen a few Broadway shows live.
Some of those that you've mentioned, I'm not aware of, so I'm going to have to kind of check those out, but I'm presumed there are YouTube videos of some of these performances and things.
Sure.
All of these talented singers that kick it, would you ever have like a flash mob, you know, during the day?
Everybody starts singing.
Sadly, it's not high school musical.
No, no, I didn't hear anything about high school music in there.
But in terms of what kind of music do you normally like to listen to?
I'm just a really big musical theater person.
I listened to some K-pop also.
And then just kind of regular like
pop music, anything on the radio.
It's fun.
Um, but mostly just musicals.
The variety show gives you a chance to, to sing what you really love, not, not something that you're told you have to sing.
Right?
So that's, that's one of the appeals I'm guessing about being involved in this, isn't
it?
Yeah, for sure.
Sure.
What are some other things you're involved in at Kickapoo?
Um, at Kickapoo, I'm going to be doing track and field.
And then, um, I'm in, I'll be in the drama club.
And then, oh goodness, I'm not in a lot like at school, but I participate in everything like art wise, like painting and stuff like that.
I really enjoy like my art class and getting to do that for people.
I get to do commissions, which is really fun.
Outside of school, I do dance in Richland Center.
And then I take vocal lessons up in Viterbo.
I'm
in
National Honor Society.
And that's all I can think of right
now.
That's a lot, sure.
You're involved in lots of things.
What about drama club?
Do you put on a play somewhere along the line?
Yes.
It's kind of changed a little bit since we last participated in it because our drama director, she moved to a different school.
So we're gonna have like an entirely new
Um, like set up, if that makes sense, it's going to be a little different.
Um, but I think it should be pretty fun.
Um, I don't entirely know what we were doing yet this year.
We haven't had like any meetings about it.
Um, but I'm excited to see what happens.
Great.
Well, keep us posted on that as well.
Um, and in terms of next year, have you thought about what you'd like to be doing?
Um, well, I'm hoping, uh, to go to UW Madison.
Um, I won't know until January.
Sad, but.
I'm hoping to go into fashion design because they have a really good program for that there.
And then I've also wanted to go to
my phone's
buzzing.
You're already getting a call about somebody wanting to design something.
I've been
getting so many spam calls recently.
I
don't know what it is.
Join the club.
My goodness.
As you were saying.
Uh, what was I talking about?
Oh, you were talking about next year.
Okay.
Um, yeah, I'm hoping to go to UW Madison.
I have like backup options.
Um, but I've already submitted my application and I'm really hoping I get in.
Yeah.
Well, good luck with that.
My dad went there and I don't know, just be kind of fun.
That would make him happy
then.
True.
What makes you proud to be from Kickapoo?
What do you like about your school?
I'm going to have to also go with the arts department.
Um,
And just the fact that when you're actually in the school, it's so easy to say, oh, people are so mean and bullying is terrible.
I mean, it is.
But our school has a lot less of that than a lot of other schools in the county and in the state.
I've heard some crazy stories from friends that go to different schools.
And when you listen to what they've been through or what people in their school have been through,
Kickapoo's not bad at all.
It's like a very compared to other places.
It's a very positive place to grow up and like Nobody's Inherently not evil.
Um, but like nobody's just mean to be mean, you know, it's like they either like have a reason or going through a bad day or Something but nobody's just always mean.
There's a good side to everybody.
That's really good to hear that
You don't have the mean girls or the plastics or anybody like that as in the mean girls musical, right?
So that's interesting.
I didn't give you a chance to respond on that as well, Genesee, about what you like about Kickapoo.
I'd have to kind of piggyback off of Harlow.
I think overall it's just a really great group of people.
I can say from experience, because I've moved schools quite at different times.
She is right Harlow is right like people aren't just mean to just be mean because that's what they like or that's they just want to put somebody down They always usually have a reason behind it, which I'm not justifying that but there is definitely a difference in me moving to this school from past schools like my world just completely changed and like for the better which was Really positive for me
That's awesome.
And they talk about, you know, especially social media and things like that, where sometimes students are maybe bullied at school, but then it's 24 seven.
I mean, you can't escape it and that kind of thing.
But I think in the small school, you got more, it's more of a family or a chance more for students to be involved in different clubs as well.
Right?
Yeah.
Um, I think like with the variety of how many different clubs or like groups that you can be in,
If you're not feeling so great in one group, you can just go right over to another and you'll be automatically accepted and your world will change and everything.
So I think it's really positive.
Yeah, I think there's nothing really holding you in one place.
There's nothing that you can't do to change how you might feel.
Well said.
Royals is the variety show at Kick-A-Boo.
We'll come back and talk about tickets, how you can go see it next weekend, right after these words.
Welcome back to the Morning Show Studios Kikaboo Middle School and High School Choirs presenting the fall variety show next weekend.
And Director Katherine Miller is in with us.
Your students did a great job here.
Kind of encouraging people to go to the show.
Yes, they're amazing kids
so.
Good to have them in here.
Talk about how people can go see it next weekend.
So our shows are Friday November 6th at 7 p.m.
and Saturday November 7th at 2 p.m.
There is no entry fee.
If you would like to make a free will donation, monetary donation, you can feel free to do that and those proceeds will get split between the music department and the food pantry.
Wonderful.
And that's the Viola food
pantry.
Yes, Viola food pantry.
So just be aware of that next weekend.
If people want to know about tickets, no stinking tickets
are needed.
No tickets.
I said, you know, the one thing about a musical, I don't know that people realize how expensive it is to put something on.
You have to charge admission to, you know, at least break even, um, this production is a lot less money, like put into the show.
So we can do something nice for our community and also, you know, support ourselves as well.
So.
How does that work, Catherine, in terms of songs that they talked about, uh, you have to acquire the performance tapes or rent them.
And, and so there's a lot of work going
on.
Yeah.
So we, we still like, you know, buy all the music, you know, legally online or, you know, or their music companies.
And yeah.
So there's, there's some backend things that have to happen as well, but.
And you talked about the large groups, uh, specifically, uh, what songs are they singing then?
Yeah.
So our middle school and high school choirs are singing kings and queens.
They're singing What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong.
They're singing Dynamite by BTS, which is a more modern group that actually just sang at the World Cup this past year.
And then our high school choir is singing Yesterday by the Beatles, and then Don't Stop Me Now from Queen to finish the show.
So you've got a large tech crew.
Could you talk about them for us?
Yeah, so we've got some amazing students at our tech crew.
We've got Brayden, who is here.
excuse me, Trevor Lyon, Kelsey Wildenberg, and Lucas Tergeson.
So they're all of our tech crew specialty with lights and sound.
And Mr. Smith, I got to give a shout out as well.
He is an amazing sound engineer, I would say, and has set up our board, which actually is kind of new.
I would have no idea how to run the thing.
So I really appreciate all the extra hours he's put in.
And then to Cole Muth, who again, Braden kind of mentioned before he's having some health struggles, but the fact that he was still willing to come down and help us out for a few hours to program lights, we can't express our appreciation enough for him to get us set up and on our way.
So.
And you've been able to get some upgrades for your, I know you have a nice theater there, but some of these upgrades, like the tech end, that really helps, doesn't
it?
Yeah.
And I mean,
Our pizza fundraiser does a lot to help support that, but also, I mean, there have been donations that we've, or grants that we've applied for through ETC as well.
So yeah, we've had a couple of light board and sound board updates that really make our lives easier.
You know, it used to be where you'd have to move every slider individually for every single thing when they were on and off stage.
And now you can program it in and you press a button and everything moves.
And so it's a lot less stressful, I think, to be at the board, I hope so.
That's what I think that's what Braden would agree.
Right, Braden?
Yeah, it is less stressful so that way you're not sitting there trying to figure out what lights to pull up or what to pull down and everything else.
But yeah, it's been creating less stress on the entirety of architect crew for sure.
So were you in charge of hitting the program then or getting that all set up?
Or how does that work?
I was not there for the like full programming.
I've done some minor changes to some of the cues in our light board.
Our sound board, we also have cue setups there.
That's a new thing this past couple years.
These past couple years is just having mic cues instead of having to unmute these certain people by clicking a button.
But now you can just click one button and now you have everybody that you need unmuted.
It's definitely been helpful.
There's a lot less individual error because I've had to run sound before and sometimes when you have 10 mics or whatever you've got to unmute, it's a lot to remember.
It's like magic when you hit that program and you see all those slides move, isn't it?
It is a magical thing to see.
It's been wonderful just working there, just kind of seeing how everything works behind the scenes and being included in behind the scenes.
It's just been kind of a great thing to do.
experience for sure.
Well, it's high school musical season.
We hope people will get out and support it.
Are any of you in the winter sports coming up?
So you've got the, you've got the winter off so much.
Do you do some running then in the, in the winter?
I
do over the winter.
Yeah.
Over the winter.
Okay.
Around the farm, maybe a little bit.
I'll try to.
Okay.
There's not much snow on the ground.
Yeah.
Well, I hope there's not.
So anyway, anything else you want to add here today, Catherine?
I just think, just come out again, support all the local things that are going on.
We all know how much goes into these productions and we just appreciate the support.
Our students are amazing, they're such talent and there's something for everybody, whether you like old barbershop things or old school rock and roll or modern pop, musicals, there's
something for everybody.
A little bit of everything.
Well, we hope people will come out and see it.
We appreciate everybody coming in here today.
Gweny Kelly, Braden Turgesson, Harlow Flea Hardy and Catherine Miller and taking us out.
Genesee Sousa, would you do a little snippet of, uh, of Dolly for us to take us out or walk out song
here today?
Okay.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene.
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene.
Please don't take them just because you can.
Lovely, nice job there, yes.
Go see the Kick-A-Poo Middle School High School Choir's presentation, The Variety Show Royals, next weekend Friday and Saturday, Friday at 7, Saturday at 2.