Regionals were highly anticipated this year and everyone knew it. With the rumours of McKinley’s New Directions and their dramatic improvement, pushed on by the Lima Times, it was turning out to be the most anticipated local-level show choir event in Ohio in the decade.
When Vocal Adrenaline showed up at the theatre on January 20th, there was general silence. No one else had arrived yet, but Lucy and Dakota had decided that more rehearsal was better. Taking to the stage in their blue, black, and silver costumes, they were put through their paces, going through their dances twice before the next team even arrived – and they had rehearsal after.
While the other teams took to the stage for their rehearsal, Vocal Adrenaline was in the green room, running through vocal warm-ups and dance steps. At their time, they took to the stage once more. With the band playing and the set well-designed and presented, they rehearsed their numbers in rapid succession, and then headed off the stage.
Back in the green room, Lucy sat her pupils – students of life, song, dance, and forget the rest of it – down for the usual pep talk. “You’ve heard the hype,” she began, “but we are greater than hype. Vocal Adrenaline is legend.”
“We’ve taken this title for ten years running. Upstarts that rehearse barely twice a week and have had more coaching switches than months of rehearsal, teams which have gotten by on pure luck – they can’t match us. We are better than ever before,” she continued, volume raising slightly, but emphasis increasing far beyond that, despite the niggling voice in the back of her head telling her to check her facts. “We took Sectionals in a breeze, against qualified competition, the best our area could offer. They faced the girls rehab show choir and a deaf choir and it was considered a close race. We can do this.”
To anyone who knew her, it was clear that Lucy wasn’t as composed as she pretended – she was fixated. But the younger Adrenalites wouldn’t pick up on it and the older ones wouldn’t question. And Dakota – he could be dealt with.
A flick of her wrist indicated that the sitting members were to stand. “To Vocal Adrenaline, the greatest show choir in Lima, Ohio.” Her hand was in, and all the others fit their hands into the circle.
“One, two, three!”
“Vocal Adrenaline!” The shout was enough to cause early audience members to turn their head.
* * *
A roar from the audience indicated that New Directions had finished their program, and done spectacularly. A top three finish, no doubt, but Lucy was confident that they could beat them to all outward appearances. In actual fact, she was terribly concerned.
Vocal Adrenaline took to the stage for their performance. All of the choir except two headed towards the back, forming a line of black and blue and silver with their backs to the audience. They shook their arms and legs out, releasing the tension they felt, stopping only with the piano’s first note.
At the front of the stage, Charlotte and Landon stood perfectly still. As the first ripples of music began to sweep over the audience, they began to sing, and wonderfully. Lucy had known when she chose them that these two would make her proud, but she had been having regrets about putting them under so much pressure until that very first note
“I've never been in love before Now all at once it's you It's you forever more.”
The words and music would make a sharp contrast to what came after, but the strength of the singing was brilliant. The pair circled each other with simple choreography – executed perfectly, although Dakota wasn’t entirely pleased beside Lucy – he would happily have taken a month and had them doing flips, she was sure. She preferred this.
“But this is wine that's all too strange and strong I'm full of foolish song And out my song must pour So please forgive this helpless haze I'm in I've really never been In love before.”
As the pair finished the ballad, the audience cheered. They were as loud as they had been after New Directions, and she hoped than Charlotte and Landon were savouring the moment as they ran to their places in the line, which was bending outwards into an arc. At the front, Jesse turned around and announced – “Vocal Adrenaline!” There was hardly a second’s pause before the music began again, faster, and with more power and instruments.
“Living easy, living free Season ticket on a one-way ride...”
Two lines into the song, and the choir was moving quickly. Dakota was wincing at slight missteps, and Lucy was wincing at off-pitch points, but to the untrained eye and ear, they may as well have been flawless.
The song continued, choreographed perfectly, and executed almost as well. As it reached the end, Lucy was catching more sharps and flats, but the performance was still something. “I’m on the highway to hell,” the choir sang, with Monique and Hillary bouncing back “Don’t stop me”, and a huge unison “I’m going down, all the way down / I’m on the highway to hell,” to finish the song.
The next song would be more risky, but as Travis, Michael, Sylvia, and Raquelle began, “Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh! Oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh!” Lucy was confident that it was a good choice. The smiles on her singers faces as more voices added in gradually until the entire choir was singing, “Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah! Roma-Roma-ma-ah! Ga-ga-ooh-la-la! Want your bad romance,” were very indicative, and she could sense the younger members of the audience entering into the music.
There was no doubt that this was the most challenging song, both vocally and choreographically, but with Dakota locating Dominic and Caitlin, his best dancers, at the front, it camouflaged some of the visual mistakes at the back from Lucy’s singers, who were singing to make up for the less than ideal vocals of the dancers. All in all, it was thrilling to witness, and Lucy mentally noted that whatever Dakota said, they were going to Nationals with this.
“I want your loving And I want your revenge You and me could write a bad romance I want your loving All your love is revenge You and me could write a bad romance.”
The words were clearer than the original, much to Lucy’s relief, and the chorus was a great point for them all – it was in unison for strength, and provided a slight break for the stronger singers, as the others could carry the line easily. Her only concern was that the audience’s cheering and noise would dock them marks. It was the only reason why Lucy wished that Vocal Adrenaline wasn’t quite so successful – those fans worried her.
Through the rest of the song, Lucy was beaming, and hardly heard the music for the blood rushing through her ears and the joy that these kids were defying her expectations once again.
“I want your loving And I want your revenge You and me could write a bad romance I want your loving and all your love is revenge You and me could write a bad romance.”
The chorus rolled through for the final time, and Lucy was beaming with pride, and cheering herself. Dakota beside her had taken out a checklist and was jotting down flaws and problem spots, but Lucy was in peppy mode – and had been threatening it all day – and the amazing performance was only making her more so.
“Ga-ga-ooh-la-la! Want your bad romance.”
The music stopped abruptly, the performers on stage froze, and the auditorium nigh on erupted.
* * *
The marks came out. Vocal Adrenaline was in first place. New Directions took second. In third came Sensational Song – but everyone could tell that they were just a formal necessity. The top two had stolen the show.
The thought running through the head of every member on stage was simple. “Thank God, now off for more next week.”