Gretna High School started a Revolution years ago, and they’re still surprising people.
Revolution, the first of two show choirs at Gretna High, just completed a stellar season. Both of the school’s show choirs – Revolution and Evolution – require auditions for membership.
“We went undefeated this year – which Gretna has never done before,” said director Katelyn Wallace, who is in her third year at Gretna High. “It definitely was an unprecedented, very exciting season for us.”
The group competed at events at Millard West, Papillion La Vista South, Elkhorn South, Grand Island and Totino Grace High School in Fridley, Minnesota, Wallace said. After a snowstorm forced the cancellation of one of their home performances, they gave only one concert.
The 50-member ensemble, which only accepts students in grades 10-12, works toward the competition season all year, Wallace said.
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“We rehearse starting in August, but we don’t actually take the stage until January,” she said.
In addition, they tap into some high-powered talent to build a winning show, Wallace said. They call on Stephen Todd, a nationally known choreographer from Mitchell, South Dakota, to plan their moves and Drew Firkins of Omaha to arrange their music.
“Drew takes 20 to 25 songs and arranges them for soprano, alto, tenor and bass,” she said. While it may seem to the audience like there are five songs in the show, he works in “little snippets” of other ones.
The choir’s costumes are done by Gail McInnis and Randy Laroue at Gail McInnis Productions in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
And they are backed by a live band — the Pit Rippers, composed of 10 to 12 Gretna High School instrumentalists.
This year’s show was called, “One Last Dance,” Wallace said.
“It told the story of a songwriter who was living his life and his love story through his music,” she said. “The overall message of our show was, love without limits and never take life for granted.”
Music captured Wallace’s heart early.
“I have loved music and performing my entire life,” she said. “I’ve been involved in music my entire life.”
Zach Bjornsen, her music teacher in middle and high school and current Millard West choir director, was influential in her life, Wallace said.
“He was always my biggest inspiration,” she said. “He really created a great experience for me and all of my peers. And I was always inspired by the great show choirs in the Omaha area.”
Wallace taught at Millard South for two years while earning her bachelor’s degree at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Wallace doesn’t perform much now, but she’s OK with that.
“Teaching is really my biggest joy now – getting to watch young students fall in love with music,” she said.
Right now, Wallace is focused on being music director for the school’s spring musical, “Beauty and the Beast,” along with colleagues Dakota Mathew, Kyle Avery, Steve Hydeen and Noah Hickman. The show runs April 25-28.
“Many of our show choir students are also in the musical,” she said.
Wallace and her husband, Nathan, a vocal instructor at Northridge Middle School in Elkhorn, plan to take a group of students on a trip this summer through Midwest America Tours. She will also help with the National Show Choir Camp at UNL this summer, along with UNL Professor Pete Eklund.
Nathan has taught at Northridge since it opened three years ago and has built that school’s vocal program, Katelyn said. Starting with the 2024-25 school year, he will be teaching at the almost-new Gretna East High School.
“He’s really excited to move and then build a really exciting program at Gretna East,” she said.
So will the two be competing with each other?
“We didn’t compete with Gretna East this year,” Katelyn said. “But at the end of the day, we hope they are both competing at a really high level across the state.
“Gretna is such a terrific community,” she said. “We’re excited to feel even deeper roots in Gretna and maybe start a family. I’m biased, but I really think it’s the best school system in the state.”