The 7th Annual Door County Idol competition is rapidly approaching, and the contestants have been hard at work with music and choreography rehearsals for the past several weeks, not to mention their own personal practice time.
This year’s competition is quickly shaping up to be one of the most impressive shows yet! Door County Idol is scheduled for Saturday, February 5, at 7 pm at the Door Community Auditorium.
Once again, there are three judges for this year’s competition. The first judge will be Stuart Champeau, a local actor with numerous theater credits to his name. He starred in the Third Avenue Playhouse and Isadoora Theatre productions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dinner Party, and The Odd Couple. He has also directed and performed in the Door County Comedy Club Improv Show. Professionally, he has been seen in many television commercials, college recruitment videos, and infomercials.
Rachel Manek is the second judge for the 2011 Door County Idol. Rachel is the co-host and news anchor for Good Day Wisconsin on Green Bay’s TV Fox 11. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana and is no stranger to Door County, as she spent her collegiate summers working in Sister Bay. Rachel enjoys traveling the world, her family, and of course, TV.
The final judge at this year’s competition is melaniejane, a local singer/songwriter. She and pat mAcdonald form a duo called Purgatory Hill which means she spends a lot of time on the road performing. She has been living in Sturgeon Bay since 2008 and stays very involved with the Steel Bridge Songfest. She has performed throughout the U.S. and currently has two solo recordings, Flower and Billets Doux.
Nick Freimuth and Karyn Klement will be the hosts of Door County Idol again this year. Married in 2009, they stay busy hosting the WBDK Shopping Show, the WRLU morning show, and working for the radio stations of DoorCountyDailyNews.com. Last year’s winner, Gibraltar’s Lilli Nelson, will also perform at the competition as she turns over her reign as the 2010 Door County Idol to this year’s winner.
The 2011 winner will take home the first place prize of $1,000. Sponsor Cynthia Stiehl increased the prize award several years ago, placing her stamp of approval on the direction of the competition. Cynthia was an original supporter of the show, as she enjoys rewarding youth for their musical talents and for making healthy decisions.
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There will be eight contestants competing for the title of the 2011 Door County Idol. The first contestant, Ashley Wacaser, is a senior at Washington Island High School. She took third place in the 2010 Washington Island Idol competition and has appeared in her school productions including School Bus Romance and Our Town. |
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April Delfosse, a senior at Southern Door High School, is very active in her high school’s music department. She participates in the concert and madrigal choirs as well as solo ensemble. In 2009, April starred as Eve in Southern Door’s production of Meet Me in St. Louis and acted as a lead sister in this year’s Pirates of Penzance. |
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A junior at Southern Door, Sara Mueller has also starred in the productions of Meet Me in St. Louis as Katie the Irish Maid and Pirates of Penzance as Ruth. This past summer, Sara became part of the Wisconsin FFA Honors Chorus, combining her two favorite hobbies. |
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Anya Kopischke is a sophomore at Gibraltar High School and has been performing in professional theater since she was seven years old. She played Mayzie in Gibraltar’s production of Seussical the Musical and has performed in two Peninsula Players productions. Anya is also active in show choir, forensics, solo ensemble, and the one act plays at Gibraltar. |
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Gibraltar’s Zephyr Ciesar, a junior, played Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical the Musical and was thrilled to perform at the state level competition. Zephyr plays volleyball and soccer and is a coach for the 8-10 year old team of the Northern Door Soccer League. She is also the sports editor for the Viking Voice and a member of the student council. |
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Patricia Hansen, a junior at Washington Island High School, was the winner of the 2010 Washington Island Idol competition. Tricia has been performing since she was young with her first solo performance at age eight, and she continues to perform at several venues throughout the county. |
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Sevastopol High School junior, Trevor Hietpas, has starred in the Sevastopol School productions of The Music Man as Harold Hill and Willy Wonka Jr. as Willy Wonka. He enjoys playing soccer year round and is the lead singer of the band Get Over It. Trevor is accompanying himself tonight on guitar and piano. |
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Finally, Brittany Hallet, a sophomore at Southern Door High School, rounds out the line of contestants this year. She has taken 3rd place in Kewaunee Idol, 2nd place in Ellisville Idol, and even tried out for American Idol last summer. Brittany stays active in the music department with solo ensemble, choirs, and the musicals. |
The 7th Annual Door County Idol competition will be held on Saturday, February 5, 2011, at 7 pm at the Door Community Auditorium, 3926 Hwy 42, Fish Creek. Seating is reserved. All tickets are $10. Please call the box office at 920.868.2728 to reserve your tickets, as they are selling quickly, or visit www.dcauditorium.org to order online.
