Johnston Showzam: Crowd May Exceed New School Theater Capacity

JOHNSTON, IA — Show choirs from throughout the metro area will compete at the new Johnston High School next week, but the 1,200-seat auditorium is not expected to hold everyone who attends the Showzam show choir invitational. Thirty show choirs are on the schedule to perform during the two-day event.

District officials are planning a wristband and hand-stamp system that will put parents, families and adults in the auditorium and students in overflow seating in the gymnasium to watch as the event is live streamed.

A series of screens will be set up in other areas of the school being used during Showzam, officials said in a video that explains building access and seating plans that will be followed for the Jan. 19 and 20 event.

School Resource Officer James Slack with the Johnston Police Department and Sarah Marckmann, Showzam emcee, detailed how the school will accommodate the crowd in a YouTube video.

"We've got an auditorium that seats 1,200, but not everybody's going to fit in there," Marckmann says in the video. "So the students who don't get wristbands, they'll just get a stamp on their hand. Those stamps don't get you in the auditorium. Those stamps though get you into our big gym where there will be a scren there and they can see it from there."

Awards also will be held in the gym.

Marckmann touts the gym as the best seating for the show for students. "You know what's great about this place?" she says in the video. "You can have food in here. ... That's way better than the auditorium."

Performers and other participants will enter the school through the main entrance. Fans and spectators will enter through the activity entrance; ticket tables will be right inside the door.

Middle schools will perform and receive awards on Friday. High school prep and female show choirs will compete in the morning and early afternoon Saturday. Varsity show choirs will compete Saturday starting midday.

The top six choirs based on judges overall scores from the entire Saturday schedule (not limited to varsity) will compete in the finals on Saturday night, with awards for all six places. Additional awards will be given for Best Vocals, Best Choreography, Best Band, Best Crew, Best Female Vocalist and Best Male Vocalist.

Participating middle schools will come from Ankeny, Des Moines, Indianola, Johnston, Urbandale and Waukee districts. High school groups scheduled to perform represent the Ankeny, Indianola, Johnston, Norwalk, Urbandale and Waukee districts, along with Dowling Catholic High School.

Admission (cash only) is $10 for Friday, $10 for the day or evening shows Saturday, or $15 for an all-day Saturday pass. Debit or credit cards may be used for programs and concessions.

Graphic via Johnston schools