District 214 Choir Serenades Glee Star

“Glee” teacher Sue Sylvester has no love for high school show choirs, but her portrayer, actress Jane Lynch, had nothing but praise for Rolling Meadows High School’s “Leading Ladies” Show Choir.

The Leading Ladies serenaded Lynch at the 24th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Show on Saturday, Feb. 9 at Muvico Theaters in Rosemont.

“A lot of them (choir members) said it was a once in a lifetime experience, not only to meet Jane Lynch but to perform for her,” said Caitlyn Walsh, choir director. “They were very star struck.”

Lynch “was so sweet, she was so nice,” Walsh said. “She said they did great.”

The Emmy Award-winning actress even went backstage to talk with the choir, gave everyone hugs and posed for photos, she said.

Walsh got a call from the producers of the awards show about a week and a half before the event.

Producers wanted to pay tribute to Lynch and her character by having a high school choir perform. While many high school choirs were off competing, Leading Ladies couldn’t compete that Saturday because five members were performing in a school play. The rest of the choir, 23 girls, was available so Walsh jumped on the opportunity.

“I thought, what an amazing opportunity to meet someone like that, especially someone who is so closely associated to show choir. The show really helped the show choir movement gain popularity,” Walsh said.

“I knew they (the choir) would want to do it,” she said.

Leading Ladies took a song they had been working on, Beyonce’s “End of Time,” and Walsh reworked the lyrics to include references to “Glee” and Lynch.

“Glee” premired on Fox in the fall of 2009 and became a sensation. Lynch has won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role.

Walsh was in college when the show premiered. She noticed a lot more competitions and special events revolving around choir began to spring up. “’Glee’ is not 100 percent realistic of what you see in high school choir but what worked for us in the choir world is it attracted more attention so people now what we did,” she said. 

Walsh directs several choirs including beginning choir, concert and chamber choir. Leading Ladies has 28-member and perform with a 10-member instrumental combo made up of band students.

Leading Ladies will be back on the competition circuit this week in Indiana and will perform in a March 2 competition at John Hershey High School in Arlington Heights.