When Theodore Boronkay stepped onto the stage at the 2014 Lawrence High School Idol singing competition, he was terrified.
As a more reserved student in school, Boronkay didn’t have much experience performing solo in front of a crowd. When he began to sing out the first few lines of Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” the audience exploded with excitement.
Boronkay, now a senior, won over the crowd and took first place in last year’s Lawrence Idol competition. He says he wasn’t even expecting to make it into the top three, though.
“I’m not in theatre, so it was a really frightening experience,” Boronkay said. “I wasn’t actually expecting to win at all. I just felt like it would be a nice thing to sing because my family is very enthusiastic about musicals and show tunes.”
LHS marketing teacher and DECA Club advisor Diane Schneck, who founded the competition, says that she was equally surprised when she first heard Boronkay’s singing voice.
“Teddy doesn’t usually talk,” she said. “So when he came into the audition and this voice came out, I was like who is this? Where is this coming from? I was blown away.”
The event turned out to be a success with more than 200 people in attendance last year. This year, the DECA Club plans to hold the LHS Idol competition on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. to showcase the school’s many talented student singers.
Based on the popular television series American Idol, Lawrence Idol features high school student performers who sing in front of an audience and panel of judges. Audience members vote for their top three favorites via cell phone and the finalists perform an additional song to determine the winner. The final three are judged by a panel of LHS teachers with musical backgrounds.
The competition first started in 2013 and has continued to grow in popularity ever since. Schneck and the school’s DECA Club came up with the idea to create the singing contest which serves as a benefit for a different charity each year.
Previously, Lawrence Idol has raised money for Charity: Water, an NYC based organization, which works to build and repair wells for safe water in Third World countries, and the Wounded Warrior Project, which offers programs and services for wounded veterans.
This year’s cause is Camp Fatima of New Jersey, a non-profit summer camp program for children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. The camp is run entirely by volunteers and campers are invited to attend free of charge, thanks to fundraising efforts from projects like Lawrence Idol.
“[The camp] allows them to play and do normal things without being judged,” said Community Service Project Co-chair Shea Patel.
Along with other co-chair member Vismita Kandasamy, Patel has been working to organize this year’s Lawrence Idol event. The two decided to benefit Camp Fatima due to the strong connection they felt towards the cause after volunteering with the Special Olympics.
“We decided to run this year’s Lawrence Idol because not only would we be able to raise money, but it would be a way for people in the community to come out, support the classmates and also raise awareness of what Camp Fatima and autism actually is because it’s misunderstood by many people,” Patel said.
Lawrence Idol contestants range from experienced singers who have performed in the school’s plays and musicals to those who have never been on stage before. Current sophomore Isabella Monacchio tried out as a freshman last year, thinking that she probably wouldn’t make it past the audition.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said. “I had heard about it and figured I’d try out.”
Monacchio was selected as a finalist in the competition and ended up taking third place. She performed Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” on piano and vocals as well as “Come Together” by the Beatles.
“I had family cheering ‘go Bella, go Bella,’ but it’s nerve-wracking,” Monacchio said. “I’ve been doing plays my whole life and I’ve been musically involved so that’s definitely something that helped. It was a really fun experience.”
“We were surprised by Isabella too because she was a freshman and she has a very powerful singing voice,” said Schneck.
Though Boronkay won’t be competing to reclaim the first place title this year, Monacchio is planning to compete again in this year’s show. Attendants can expect to see performances from her as well as six other contestants.
“We have such great talent here — powerful, powerful voices — so it’s nice to showcase that and be able to see what they can do,” Schneck said.
Similar to American Idol, Lawrence Idol is led by hosts of the LHS DECA organization who “interview” audience members, asking for their opinions of the performances. The show also includes chances for guests to participate in karaoke.
“The audience gets really involved,” Schneck said. “They start yelling and cheering. They just love it.”
Tickets to Lawrence Idol are $5 and can be purchased the night of the show. The event will also feature a concessions stand and an information table about autism awareness and Camp Fatima.
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