photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

From left to right, Free State choir students Hays Hummel, Jackson Roberts, Jack Keathley-Helms and Max Bates sing through a dress rehearsal performance of "Budapest" by George Ezra.

After a two-year pause because of COVID-19, upperclassmen at Free State High School are reviving an annual tradition this week: the Encore variety show.

It’s the first performance since 2019 for the show, which is put on by the juniors and seniors in the school’s choral department. They’re hoping their comeback will make an impression.

“The pressure’s on,” said Hays Hummel, one of the seniors.

Most of the acts at the show — from staging to costumes to choreography — are put together by the students themselves. This year’s show will include 28 songs across two acts. Performances are set for Thursday, March 24, through Saturday, March 26; doors open at 6:45 p.m., and the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Except for the past two years, the show has taken place every year since Free State opened during the 1997-98 school year. During the 2019-20 school year, the show’s first tech rehearsal would have taken place during Free State’s spring break, but that’s when COVID protocols forced schools to close until the end of the school year.

Lawrence High School’s similar annual performance, Showtime, is also on for this year. Performances will take place late next month, April 28-30.

The Journal-World spoke with a group of Free State seniors between songs at their first dress rehearsal on Monday night, and they were excited to get back to business as usual. Senior Ella Booth said there’s been some buzz among the student body, too, as they’ve been asking her and others what parts they’ll be playing later this week.

For everyone currently in Free State’s choral program, it’s the first time they’re getting to perform in the show, since this year’s seniors didn’t get a chance to perform during their junior years.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Soloist Felix Janzen Chappell, pictured here in the center of the group holding the microphone, runs through a rendition of “Earth Angel” at Monday night’s Encore dress rehearsal.

Hummel and his peers said it felt like a big responsibility to put on the first performance since before the pandemic, especially since none of them have participated in Encore before now. And Hummel said he feels like they’re performing for their peers who missed out on the experience entirely during the past couple of years.

For some of these students, Encore runs in the family. Another senior, Trevor Sidabutar, grew up watching his older brothers perform in past renditions of Encore.

“My older brother, Hugh, was actually part of the Encore that got canceled in 2020; he was a senior when that happened,” Sidabutar said. “He’s coming to see the show, so I feel like I have a greater responsibility to just show out.”

Sidabutar said he feels there’s enough “institutional knowledge” about Encore among current Free State students who, like him, have had older siblings or other family members participate to help bridge those gaps.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Soloists Evie Stull and Ezra Joseph sing their parts of “For the Longest Time.”

Some elements of the show stay the same year after year, like the opening and closing numbers, “Lift You Up” and “Rhythm of the Night.” Free State senior Olivia Evans said those traditions made it even harder to see shows canceled the past two years.

“It was kind of devastating two years ago to see that it was being canceled,” Evans said. “Since you’re a freshman, you’re planning with your friends what you want to do; you’re making a list of songs you want to do. Seeing it get taken away for two years, we were really kind of scared for this year, so it’s really exciting to finally get to bring it back.”

Tickets for Encore are available at freestateathletics.com/event-tickets. All tickets are general admission and cost $10. Free State alumni will have front-row seats saved until 7:15 p.m. each show night, and then those seats will be released for general admission.