The Limited Edition legacy

Limited Edition, the nationally acclaimed Port Washington High School ensemble that introduced not only its hometown but much of the region to contemporary a cappella music two decades ago, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a new generation of performers determined to carry on the group’s legacy.

It took a big step toward accomplishing that last weekend by notching the highest score in its bracket at the Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Cappella Great Lakes Quarterfinal competition at Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center to advance to the semifinal competition at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee on March 12. 

From there, New York City and the championship round of the premiere scholastic a cappella competition await.

“It was absolutely wild,” Limited Edition member Jazzy Cannon, who was named best soloist of the quarterfinal round, said of last weekend’s win.

Another member of the 16-member ensemble, Lucas Poull, said, “My whole goal in life, even more so than going to college, has been to be in Limited Edition. Going to New York would be absolutely amazing.”

Poull was named the best vocal percussionist of Limited Edition’s quarterfinal round. 

As promising as this year’s group is, it’s the legacy of Limited Edition and its role in fostering an appreciation of a cappella music locally and nationally that is remarkable. Consider this — several members of this year’s ensemble were inspired to join the group by performances they saw when they were elementary school students. 

“I grew up watching Limited Edition perform when I was at Dunwiddie Elementary School,” Cannon, a senior at Port High and a second-year member of Limited Edition, said. “From that time on, I knew I wanted to be, that I had to be, in Limited Edition. 

“So to accept an award on stage with Limited Edition last weekend ... I was on cloud nine.”

As a youngster watching the group perform, Cannon was particularly inspired by a Limited Edition soloist named Brian Arvai.

“Years and years ago, I watched him and I thought, ‘I want to do that. I need to do that,’” she said.

Then came some unexpected congratulations for Cannon’s quarterfinal performance.

“The other night I was at dinner when from out of nowhere I got a message from Brian and I just squealed. I have looked up to this man for so long. He’s the one who inspired me,” she said.

Poull, a junior and second-year member of Limited Edition, grew up with an inside perspective of the group. Both his sister Emily and brother Alex, now 24 and 21, were members of the group, and while watching them perform was inspiring, it was Emily’s experience at the Varsity Vocals championship in New York that has her younger brother focused on a trip to the Big Apple.

“My sister went to New York, and hearing the stories about the atmosphere there and how there was just this love of music really inspired me,” he said.

While Limited Edition’s legacy is not lost on its current members, it doesn’t go unnoticed by others from outside the area either.

“When they were introducing groups (at the quarterfinals), they would announce this group in its second year and this one in its seventh year,” Poull said. “And then Limited Edition is announced as celebrating its 20th anniversary. That’s pretty amazing.”

Then came the ultimate compliment.

“One judge said we had that old Limited Edition feel,” Poull said. “That really warmed our hearts.”

That comment, Poull explained, was directed specifically at Cannon’s solo piece “Feel Good” and the group’s ability to perform for the audience, not just the judges.

“We have some of that classic Limited Edition feel, that ability to interact with everyone and have fun,” Poull said. “It (“Feel Good”) really breaks through that barrier and shows how much we appreciate the audience.”

In addition to the talents of its members, one of the strengths of this year’s ensemble is its three-song competition set, Limited Edition Director Dennis Gephart said. 

“The pieces are some of the most difficult music we’ve ever done,” he said. 

The set is, in fact, a bit of an emotional roller coaster, starting with “Revolutionary,” a piece that confronts “all the bad things going on in the world, like what’s happening in Ukraine,” Cannon said, referring to the Russian invasion of that country.

“There’s so much crap going on in the world, but when you’re up on that stage with your friends, you feel like nothing can touch you.”

The second piece, “With You,” is an acknowledgment that while there are hardships in the world, we face them together, and is followed by the uplifting “Feel Good.”

Whether the set and the performances are good enough to get Limited Edition back to New York remains to be seen, but this group is hungry for a return to the biggest stage in high school a cappella music.

Last year, Limited Edition opted not to participate in the online Varsity Vocals competition, and in 2020 the group punched its ticket to New York in the semifinals only to see the competition canceled because of the pandemic. 

Limited Edition also earned a trip to the championship round in 2019 but opted not to compete because it had committed earlier to participate in a prestigious a cappella festival in Memphis.

This year, there’s no question what the group will do if given the opportunity.

“Oh yeah, we’re going to go,” Gephart said. “We wouldn’t miss it.”

Although Limited Edition has its sights set on New York, it hasn’t forgotten Port Washington and will host the Port Washington Acapocalypse A Cappella Festival on Friday, April 1, in the Port High Performing Arts Center.

The show will be headlined by Six Appeal, a professional a cappella group from Minneapolis that tours nationally.

Opening for the group will be Port High’s women’s vocal jazz group; FOCUS, the school’s extracurricular a cappella ensemble; and Limited Edition. FOCUS also competed in the Varsity Vocals quarterfinals Saturday but did not advance.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased through www.limitededitionacappella.com.

“We wanted to keep the ticket prices low so we can pack the house,” Gephart said, adding that he hopes Acapocalypse serves as a reintroduction to the joys of performing arts for a pandemic-weary public. 

“We’ve forgotten — I’ve forgotten — many of the things that we liked doing and that brought us joy before the pandemic,” he said. “I want people to come back. We have to reteach our community about the performing arts we have to offer.

“That’s why I really hope this is a sold-out show.”