Community Showcase Stage: The rhythm is ‘gonna get’cha’
MADISON – Vocalists. Instrumentalists. Dancers. Even add martial arts to the mix. The Community Showcase Stage on Church Street promises hometown entertainers ready to share their distinctive talents.
Community Showcase Stage promises to feature “several dance companies, singers, musicians, a taekwondo demonstration and a surprise guest that young and old will enjoy,” Chair Cheri Voken said. “It’s all subject to change as the date gets closer.”
Voken agreed to chair this area after “some lovely ladies from MSF approached me about helping out with the festival. Since I couldn’t tell them, ‘No,’ I signed up for one of the best activities to be a part of!” she said. “It truly is a community effort” . . . with active committee members recruiting other residents to join.
“To be honest, the Community Showcase Stage is one of the easiest jobs at the festival. I love seeing the groups come and show off their hard work (new ones, as well as previous performers),” Voken said.
“Many of our performers are school age (in dance companies and taekwondo dojos, for example), but we have performers that come from all walks of life,” Voken said. Students from across Madison will entertain – “mainly people who live in the area that participate in these activities on their own time.”
Voken is familiar with performers, because her daughter played alto and tenor saxophone with Bob Jones High School Band, Madison City Youth Orchestra and Madison City Community Orchestra or MCCO when she was in high school. “One of her MCCO appearances was at MSF. A train came through during the performance, but what can you do but just keep playing!” Voken said. “That was my first interaction with MSF; now, a few years later, I was asked to take on the Community Showcase Stage.”
This year, the Community Showcase Stage will replace the Entertainment Stage. “This year is the first time we’ve tried this, and it will be so nice to have the Community Showcase Stage performers in the middle of the festival rather than at the very end,” Voken said. “We’ll have plenty of various entertainment from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.”
Encouraging people to visit the Community Showcase Stage, Voken said, “This is your community. Your neighbors. This stage gives some groups the opportunity to show their hard efforts in a way that they can’t otherwise.” “We (with MSF) provide that opportunity to share with the community that we have so many fun things to do in Madison, and it gives these performers and companies a chance to show us what they are doing,” Voken said. “I had one group tell me, ‘If it wasn’t for this stage, we really don’t have anywhere else to show people what we do.’ That was the sword- fighting group from a few years ago, as you can imagine. That’s why I feel that this stage isn’t just another part of the festival.”
“From the first act to the last, it is Madison. Who knows . . . you might even see your next-door neighbor up on stage Irish dancing or belly dancing! Imagine the conversation you’ll have while taking out your garbage at the same time next week,” Voken said with a laugh.
“We had so many new entries this year that have never been a participant of MSF. Finding those new performers and getting them to apply has been a problem in previous years,” Voken said. “I’m also thankful for the applicants that have previously participated and we turned away this year to bring in new performers.”
“(Previous groups) are truly so understanding and realize this stage is an opportunity that some performers really need . . . to maybe grow their business or give their students the chance to perform in front of an audience,” Voken said. “I’m so grateful for all of performers – past and present. They are an absolutely joy to work with.”
“I am so happy that I’m a small part of showing people how talented our community is!” Voken said.
