Musical troupe returning to New London

By Scott Bellile

The Kids From Wisconsin are without a New London High School alum in their cast this summer, but that’s not stopping the traveling show troupe from rocking the city for a night on Thursday, July 25.

Their 51st annual show, “The Beat Goes On,” will shine the spotlight on a semi-local “Hometown Kid,” Noah Blohowiak of Larsen.

The tenor singer and dancer chose to hold his hometown show 20 miles away in New London for several reasons: His grandparents Ralph and Bonnie Blohowiak reside in the town of Lebanon, his extended family lives in the area, and New London is close by for his classmates from Xavier High School in Appleton.

“I decided that would be the best place to get as many people as I could to see the show,” Noah Blohowiak said.

His parents are farmers and business owners. Rob is a veterinarian at Great Lakes Equine in Hortonville, while Mary is a freelance brand designer for B.Creative Design and Technology in Larsen.

“We’re so proud of him. … The show is so wonderful and the kids are so talented,” Mary Blohowiak said. “If people haven’t seen it, I try and tell everybody. You just can’t believe that these are kids in high school and their first couple years in college.”

Noah Blohowiak attends the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where he is pursuing a major in musical theater and a minor in dance.

During his first year at UWSP, he has played parts in “Heather: The Musical” and “Amour.”

The 2018 Xavier grad starred in several stage productions as a teen: “Fiddler on the Roof” (Tevye), “Guys and Dolls” (Benny Southstreet), “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” (Reuben) and “A Christmas Carol” (Jacob Marley). He also sang in Xavier’s choir and a capella group.

Noah Blohowiak said he loves his summer gig with the Kids From Wisconsin.

“I’ve been having so much fun, and I really enjoy the touring aspect of the Kids From Wisconsin because I’ve gotten to experience every community,” he said.

He is a featured soloist in the show’s second-half opener, Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.” The song is a fun number that pulls the audience back into the show and leads into a selection of popular oldies tunes, he said.

“Elton John is such a performer. It’s incredible to just watch him perform, and the new ‘Rocketman’ movie that just came out is really an inspiration to me,” Noah Blohowiak said. “So being able to embellish that character with the costume I wear and the movement we have in the show, it’s just such a big, powerful performance.”

Noah Blohowiak said the universal nature of music is what draws him to it.

“I don’t think there’s a single human on Earth that hasn’t listened to music before,” he said. “It’s just such a huge part of life, and it’s really something that can connect anyone and everyone.”

If you go
• When: Thursday, July 25, 7 p.m.

• Where: New London High School, 1700 Klatt Road.

• Tickets: $10 in advance (New London School District office, New London Area Chamber of Commerce office, First State Bank or Wolf River Community Bank), $15 at the door.

• Free workshop: An hour-long Realize Your Dream Performing Arts Workshop for singers and instrumentalists ages 7 to 14 will take place at 3:30 p.m. Register in advance at kidsfromwisconsin.org.

• What to expect: Hit music from Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Cher, Queen and more.

• Sponsored by: New London Lions Club.