Posted on Aug 21, 2015
Patrons wait to enter the auditorium prior to the show.
 
KIDS From Wisconsin rock the house
 
A nearly packed auditorium greeted the KIDS From Wisconsin as they brought their "No Place We'd Rather Be" concert to New Berlin Eisenhower Middle/High School on Friday, Aug. 21. During their two 40-minute sets, the 33-member troupe sang, danced and played their way through a wide range of music, including hits from Journey, as well as Carole King, Bruno Marx, and Taylor Swift. The 20 singer-dancers were backed by band that included a 7-piece brass section, which separately took center stage and treated everyone to music from Frank Sinatra and Chicago.
 
Their second set featured an extensive review of work from the musical "Bullets Over Broadway." The KIDS capped off the evening with a touching patriotic number that including parts of "God Bless America" and "America The Beautiful." Their well-choreographed routines generated hearty applause throughout the concert and a standing ovation at the end.
 
"It's a really great experience," bass player Isaac Surprenant commented afterward. "It's the best musical training you can have at this age." The New Berlin native will be a sophomore at UW-Madison this year.
 
That feeling was echoed by the group's other "hometown KID," Kyle Johnson-Evers of Muskego. "[It's] one of the best opportunities for someone this age to be in a group like this," the 19-year-old keyboardist says.
 
This image shows KIDS greeting patrons after the concert. Isaac Surprenant is at far left. Kyle Johnson-Evers is in the center, wearing the red vest.
 
Executive Director Tina Weiss was touched by the effort she witnessed this season. "They took a piece of my heart," she says, adding that she was impressed with the talent and passion displayed by the KIDS. Weiss, in her second season as executive director, notes that these young people form friendships that will endure for a lifetime.
 
We sold 475 tickets for this, our second annual KIDS From Wisconsin concert. Only a smattering of open seats were available in the newly renovated Lohmiller-Sutherland Theater. A majority of the proceeds, which are still being tallied, will be donated to the school district's music program.
 
Rotary Club of New Berlin would like to thank the advertisers, sponsors,