Each year, community members from all over Edina come to Fick Auditorium to experience the extravagant and creative spectacle that is Edina Concert Choir’s Current Jam. The 51st Current Jam was no exception, bringing everything from well-choreographed full choir numbers like “Bad Romance” to slow special acts like “New York State of Mind.”
The show was divided into two acts, containing seven full group numbers with a variety of special acts between them. The first act started out incredibly strong with a high-energy full-group number of “Stayin’ Alive,” followed by one of the most standout special acts, “Creep” sung by senior Caroline Drew. The rest of the act remained fairly low-key with the Men’s Chorus stealing the show midway through in their back-to-back numbers “All-Star” and “Love Potion No. 9,” both of which contained hilarious choreography that left the audience cheering. The act ended with another throwback, “Rock With You,” which got the energy up going into intermission and for the rest of the show.
Sticking to the throwback theme, act two began with “Come on Eileen,” a perennial classic for the Concert Choir. While the dress code for costumes was somewhat confusing, the choreography and energy of the singers quickly helped to move past that, providing an energetic start to the second half of the show. The special acts during this half of the show took the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions, with everything from senior Josie Gerlach’s slow serious ballad of “New York State of Mind” on the piano to the upbeat pop of “Eenie Meenie” performed by a small group with high energy choreography.
The show ended with two strong full choir numbers, the first being “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga in which the entire choir sported their best red and black leather looks. These amazing outfits transitioned with them into the classic finale “Everyday,” which is a traditional ending as old as Current Jam itself.
While the singers brought the choreography and songs to life, many other aspects helped them to shine. This comprised of their top-tier backup band, which featured many students from Edina’s very own bands. In addition to the band, the incredible tech elements, namely the lighting design and the video feed which projected live close-ups and varying perspectives of the show as it was happening onto the screens in Fick Auditorium, gave the entire show a rock concert feel.
