Rising “Star” by Kim Nowatzke Karen Eigenmann Or Duets
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THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 37, Number 33 Thursday, August 26, 2021 Rising “Star” by Kim Nowatzke Karen Eigenmann or duets. Sixty-fi ve sing- spends her days teach- ers auditioned this year, ing students about with the number about math, but her love of evenly divided between singing may add up to the two age categories. scoring the title of 2021 Eigenmann had a little Hoosier Star winner. company amid the audi- The Krueger Middle tion process. Her mother, School math teacher is Karla Wilczewski, tried one of 10 fi nalists – fi ve out as well. She sang in the adult division, Burt Bacharach’s “What fi ve in the youth division the World Needs Now.” – who will perform with “She (Karen) talked LaPorte County Sym- me into it,” Wilczewski phony Orchestra during said with a laugh. its annual Hoosier Star Because of the CO- fundraiser-competition VID-19 pandemic, last Saturday, Sept. 11, at year’s Hoosier Star was LaPorte Civic Auditori- held virtually with a um, 1001 Ridge St. small band of LCSO mu- What makes this op- sicians. portunity special for the “We are returning 33-year-old Eigenmann with the LaPorte Coun- is, she’s wanted to try ty Symphony Orchestra out in the past, but only this year at the Civic Au- recently moved back to ditorium,” Executive Di- the area. She grew up Krueger Middle School math teacher Karen Eigenmann is rector Tim King told The in LaPorte, but over the one of fi ve adult fi nalists for the 2021 Hoosier Star title. Beacher. “We are asking years lived in Kansas and Illinois. Her uncle, John audience members to mask up, as we are doing the Bello of LaPorte, was a Hoosier Star fi nalist. Her same with the musicians.” cousin, Nick Bello, also of LaPorte, has auditioned Hoosier Star began in 2006 as a way to raise in the past. This year, a student she coached in bas- funds for LCSO, which didn’t have a signature fun- ketball mentioned she planned to try out, which re- draiser at the time, King explained. Prizes include minded her of the auditions. $1,000 for each fi rst-place winner in the adult and “Last year,” she said, “because of the confusion youth divisions. Second place-winners take home with COVID, I missed it.” $500. This year’s judges at the auditions were Di- Eigenmann sang “Still Hurting” from the musi- ane Perigo, a voice and piano instructor at Music cal “The Last Five Years” at Hoosier Star auditions of Oz Studios in Crown Point and a 2016 Hoosier March 20 at LaPorte’s Bethany Lutheran Church. Star fi nalist; Jenevieve Milo, a Crichfi eld Elemen- Tryouts were open to amateur singers from Indiana tary School music teacher and LCSO member; and and Berrien County, Mich., who could perform solos Continued on Page 2 THE Page 2 August 26, 2021 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 Beacher Company Directory e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] Don and Tom Montgomery Owners email: Classifieds - [email protected] Andrew Tallackson Editor http://www.thebeacher.com/ Drew White Print Salesman PRINTE ITH Published and Printed by Janet Baines Inside Sales/Customer Service T Randy Kayser Pressman T A S A THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Dora Kayser Bindery Jacquie Quinlan, Jessica Gonda Production Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is John Baines, Karen Gehr, Tom Montgomery Delivery also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. Rising “Star” Continued from Page 1 Lee Meyer, the Michigan City Community Chorus pianist and conductor for 27 years, the Monday Mu- sicale program chairman for many years and con- siderable musical involvement in the area, includ- ing community theater. “After 16 years, it is incredible to me that we are still fi nding new and wonderful talent,” King said. “We have now offered the opportunity to solo with the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra to over 150 people. All of the past fi nalists will tell you that, while the prize money is nice, the real prize is get- ting to solo with an orchestra. There is nothing like it.” A childhood fi lled with music infl uenced Eigen- mann’s decision to try out for Hoosier Star. “My mom originally was a singing major in col- lege, and she would just walk around the house singing, and I picked up the same habit as a kid,” Eigenmann said. “My grandmother — her mother — sang all around the house, too, but also played Karen Eigenmann recently began learning to play the ukulele. the accordion. At school, I would always be hum- She decided to get a ukulele right before her 32nd ming a song. I started choir at my small school in birthday, mostly because she has small hands. kindergarten and was in choir up to the end of col- “I actually have tried to learn the piano unsuc- lege through school. I was in church choir from high cessfully for years,” she said. “I can just pluck out a school through only recently when COVID stopped tune. During quarantine, I practiced that every day it. I also took voice lessons in high school and college and only got a little better. The ukulele has been on a small music scholarship.” much better because I can play and sing at the same Wilczewski, who these days is a Head Start nurse, time.” said her daughter was always singing as a child. Wilczewski’s impact on her daughter not only “She had a lot of opportunities to sing at St. John’s spanned music. As a kindergarten teacher, her pro- Lutheran School (in LaPorte),” she said. “She sang fession infl uenced her daughter to become a teach- a lot for the chapel and for school programs.” er. Karen also was a student in her mother’s kinder- Eigenmann recalled playing the part of Marmee garten class. in “Little Women” during her college days, as well “I liked working with her students and helping as Sister Robert Anne in “The Nutcracker.” her do things for school,” she explained. “I was somewhat shy in high school and didn’t do Eigenmann has a bachelor’s degree in elementary a lot of musicals,” she revealed. “I’m not the great- education, with a specialty in middle school math- est actor.” ematics, from Concordia University of Chicago. After her initial Hoosier Star audition, Eigen- “I have taught almost every subject when I mann sang more songs to possibly use in the fi nal worked at a small school before,” she said. “I’ve competition. On Sept. 11, she will perform “Cherry mostly taught math and science, but I’ve also taught Wine” by Hozier. She fi rst learned it on the ukulele. language arts, social studies, religion, art, computer “I like musical theater songs for performing. I science, Spanish and PE.” also enjoy lyrical songs I can play on the ukulele,” In addition to Hoosier Star, Eigenmann was ex- she said. “I haven’t been playing long and can only cited about singing The National Anthem at an learn easy songs.” MCAS district-wide back-to-school event for teach- THE August 26, 2021 Page 3 UPCOMING SHOWS Open Mic Dan Navarro 8/26 & 9/16 SAT 8/27 8 P.M. ET 8 P.M. ET CCR Tribute The Dan McGuiness Band SAT 8/28 8 P.M. ET JOIN US FOR A SPECTACULAR LABOR DAY WEEKEND BoDeans Junior Marvin & Karen Eigenmann’s mother, Karla Wilczewski, passed on her love of the Legendary music to her daughter, and infl uenced her to become a teacher. THURS 9/2 ers. She also performed a song on the ukulele dur- 8 P.M. ET Wailers ing an informal school talent showcase June 7. SUN 9/5 Wilczewski is thrilled by her daughter’s opportu- 8 P.M. ET FRI 9/3 nity to perform with LCSO during Hoosier Star. 8 P.M. ET “It’s something she’s always wanted to do,” Wil- czewski said, adding with a laugh. “Hopefully, it Modern English makes up for me not picking her to do a solo part in her kindergarten graduation ceremony. She may SAT 9/4 8 P.M. ET or may not have been better, but I couldn’t pick her because she was my daughter. But she did have a duet.” Eigenmann’s thoughts on Hoosier Star? Echoes of Jeff Leeson’s “I don’t know about winning this competition be- Non-Virtual Comedy Tour! Pompeii cause everyone is very talented,” she said. “I am just excited to have the opportunity to sing with the FRI 9/10 SAT 9/11 orchestra.” More Concert Info on Page 4 8 P.M. ET 8 P.M. ET Beggars Marrakesh Tom Banquet Express Rush SAT 9/18 SAT 9/25 THURS 9/30 8 P.M. ET 8 P.M. ET 7:30 P.M. ET GET YOUR TICKETS AT Karen Eigenmann and her sister, Regan, sing together acornlive.org/beacher for their grandparents’ 50th anniversary. THE Page 4 August 26, 2021 Willis Returns as Hoosier Star Music Director nominated Willis include Illinois Symphony Orchestra (music director), the Florida Or- chestra (Coffee Concert conductor), the Se- attle Symphony (assistant conductor) and Cincinnati Symphony (assistant conductor). As a guest conductor, he has appeared with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orches- tra and San Francisco Symphony.