GREENFIELD — Wayne Addison admits that he’s a sucker for a good cause. In a single night, Addison will recreate the comedy of Steve Martin, the hip swivel of Elvis Presley and the pop stylings of Taylor Swift — all without saying a word.
Addison and five other performers will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 as part of the inaugural Lip-Sync War, hosted by Psi Iota Xi, in a battle of choreography, costumes and lip-sync skills.
The performers — some as solo acts, and some accompanied by back-up singers — will battle it out through three rounds of performance with the winners moving on and those who have been eliminated lip-syncing a good-bye song before leaving the stage.
Katie Ottinger, president of Psi Iota Xi and organizer of the event, wanted to do something special to mark the sorority’s 100th year in the Greenfield community. Until the idea for the lip-sync war came along, the women of Psi Iota Xi mostly relied on sales projects as fundraisers — homemade cheese balls and mums — along with the occasional style show at Cynthia’s Hallmark. Ottinger enlisted the 18 members of the sorority’s Upsilon chapter to help create a new-to-Greenfield fundraiser.
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The idea for a lip-sync war originally came from Kara Harrison. Harrison and Ottinger had worked together at the Hancock County Community Foundation and remained friends when Harrison moved to another position in Indianapolis.
Once the idea had been approved, the first step was to recruit performers. Ottinger wanted to recruit local celebrities who would have fun with lip-syncing and that the community would enjoy watching perform.
After nearly two dozen phone calls and emails, Ottinger grew a little discouraged.
“It takes a special personality to want to get up there and do this,” she confided.
But after many months, Ottinger had her performers: Wayne Addison from the probation department, Mayor Chuck Fewell, Detective Sergeant Bridget Foy, Judge Scott Sirk and David Spencer from NineStar Connect and a team from the CrazyLake Acting Co. that includes Daily Reporter staff writer Christine Schaefer.
Not to be left out of the fun, Kara Harrison and another former co-worker Amber Sermersheim agreed to emcee the festivities.
“They’re crazy and extroverted and will be perfect,” Ottinger said.
NineStar Connect’s David Spencer doesn’t remember ever officially saying yes, but he loves the idea and is willing to support a good cause.
“It’s something different,” Spencer said. “If I can make a fool of myself and help a charity, then all the better.”
The competition will be judged by Emily Wethington, advancement officer at the Hancock County Community Foundation, Psi Iota Xi member Tracie Belongia and Hancock County Superior Court Judge Terry Snow.
Judges will score the contestants in three areas: 30 percent lip-sync precision, 30 percent creativity and 40 percent audience reaction.
Lip-sync precision is based on whether or not it looks like contestants are actually singing the songs. Contestants will receive a creativity score contingent on costumes, props and choreography. Audience reaction will also figure heavily in each performers’ score.
For the first round, all six acts will perform. Judges will score the contestants, and four will move forward to the second round. The championship round will decide a winner between the two finalists.
The winner of the competition will receive a trophy, bragging rights and a $500 grant donation to the non-profit organization of the winner’s choice.
In addition to the featured entertainment, attendees can enjoy refreshments and a cash bar, participate in a raffle, a 50-50 drawing and a gift basket silent auction.
In addition to helping to select the winners with applause, audience members can participate in a People’s Choice Award. Each lip-syncer will have a jar in the lobby where audience members can vote with dollars. The performer with the most dollars will win the People’s Choice Award.
It’s been a team effort as Ottinger and crew have worked together to create a smoothly-run event.
“It has a lot of moving parts,” Ottinger said, “with a lot of different people involved.”
Addison is looking forward to the event. The long-time auctioneer has spent so much time talking in front of a crowd that no one should be surprised at his participation, he said.
“They didn’t have to strongarm me too bad,” Addison said. “I’m a sucker for things that benefit the community.”
If he wins, Addison plans to donate his winnings to the Friends 4 Jessica Foundation, an organization named for Jessica Barnhart. Barnhart suffered from a rare condition that took her life when she was 15. The nonprofit helps families who are in need of support with medical issues.
Tickets are still available for the Lip-Sync War for $10 (plus fees) at eventbrite.com, by searching Lip-Sync War. Tickets will be $15 at the door.
A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $25. VIP tickets include early admission, a drink coupon and a guaranteed seat in the first three rows.
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What: Psi Iota Xi Lip-Sync War
When: Oct. 13; doors open at 6 p.m., performance starts at 6:30 p.m.
Where: H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main St., Greenfield
Advance sale tickets are available for $10 (plus fees) until noon on Oct. 13
VIP tickets are available for $25 (plus fees)
Tickets are $15 at the door
This is a cash-only event
Visit Lip-Sync War on Facebook for more information.
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