Keppel show choir back in business

Members of Glendale’s youngest show choir at Mark Keppel Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School — who made a name for themselves during a major competition last year — are preparing again for a full slate of musical performances.

Under the direction of teacher Jennifer Epstein, the group is entering its second year with one major accolade under their belt having landed in the top 10% of show choirs in their age group during a national competition last spring.

Now, the third-, fourth- and fifth-graders who make up the 50 singers of Showtime are getting the school year underway starting with an Oct. 17 show at Keppel that will help raise funds for the group. The young performers will end the year as the only elementary-school group competing against older middle school students.

This school year also marks the first time Keppel is offering a new class with 80 students learning the history of musical theater, how to audition and various acting, singing and dancing techniques.

“We’re taking it to a much deeper level and getting into asking all these essential questions about why musical theater is important and what it brings to people’s lives,” Epstein said.

In December, the group is planning to appear in the Montrose Christmas Parade and perform in a holiday concert. In March, they’ll compete in the Forum Music Festival in Santa Clarita. In April, they’ll compete against middle-school show choirs in Fullerton.

Along the way, the group will also raise funds for a good portion of $6,000 needed for travel costs and costumes through the end of the school year, leading up to a production of “Seussical, Jr.,” a musical based on Dr. Seuss books, in May.

Looking back on last year, Epstein said some of her fellow teachers were overwhelmed with how some students came out of their shells on stage, appearing to be entirely different people than they were sitting at a desk in the classroom.

Epstein said that some students who may struggle with math or staying organized to complete homework, thrive in show choir.

“We use that as a motivation to keep working hard and develop their academics. A lot of kids… maybe they can’t sit still. Those are the perfect kids on stage,” she said.

One student last year who appeared to be introverted and shy at the start of the year ended up taking on a lead in a musical and writing song lyrics at home then bringing them to Epstein and asking her opinion of them.

“When he got on stage, he’s born to perform,” Epstein said. “You could see him turn around mid-year. He all of a sudden became one of the most popular kids at the end of the year.”