There was music, singing (well, moving one’s lips to a song) lots of laughter and high-intensity performances inside the event auditorium as participants took the stage for a lip-sync battle.
The contest was located at a church, but was open to all competitors.
The show featured a wide range of performances and each brought their own unique style to the stage.
“Sister Act” stood out for its costumes, while an ABBA performance quickly became a crowd favorite.
“It’s Raining Men” brought humor and precision lip-syncing, while “Principal’s Office” drew attention for its creative concept and old-school dance moves.
“The Polar Express” showcased strong choreography and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” leaned into crowd participation, with the audience singing along and being energized by candy thrown into the crowd.
The night concluded with a take on the popular Disney song “You’re Welcome” from Moana, which opened with a haka and ultimately took home the top prize.
Among the performances, “Good Rabbit,” inspired by Bad Bunny’s popular halftime show, stood out for its scale and coordination, featuring multiple performers, synchronized movement and a strong visual theme.
“My nephew wanted to perform, and so did his sister and cousin, so I was trying to find a song that could include two men and a woman without making it romantic or too serious,” said Sophie Jensen, the creator behind the performance.
“I thought about Disney songs, but I kept coming back to the Super Bowl halftime—it has a great mix of energy and variety, so it doesn’t feel repetitive.”
The performance built toward a finale that carried a strong message.
“My favorite part was the ending, when everyone came on stage with the flags,” Jensen said. “It really represented unity, joy and celebration—it felt like a moment that was for everyone.”
Jensen also took note of the creativity displayed by other performers throughout the night.
“I was actually surprised by the ‘Day O!’ performance because I had thought about doing that song myself,” Jensen said. “It was exciting to see how they executed it and to compare it to what I had imagined.”
Audience members played a major role in shaping the atmosphere of the night, reacting enthusiastically to each performance even dancing in their seats to the songs.
“The highlight of the night had to be ‘Good Rabbit.’ It honestly looked like a halftime show, and the crowd was really behind them,” said Brandon Huse.
Huse also pointed to other notable performances.
“It’s Raining Men’ was probably my favorite. It felt like they were actually singing it, and it was a funny song to choose. They also had the whole crowd behind them cheering.”
“The ‘Principal’s Office’ performance really surprised me. It was very well choreographed, especially considering there were some young kids involved,” Huse said.
The performer behind “Principal’s Office,” Joshua Bahen, said the idea came from adapting a favorite song while keeping an appropriate tone.
Bahen’s performance featured energetic, old-school dance moves inspired by a familiar source.
“I learned to dance like that by copying moves from MC Hammer,” Bahen said.
He also reflected on other performances from the night.
“The energy at the event was loud. The crowd was really into it, and I think that’s what made it such a great event,” Huse said.
For many in attendance, the night was about more than just a competition.
“It was a fun time for everyone of all ages,” said Erica Martinez. “From the performers to the audience, it seemed like everyone had a great time.”
Martinez added some thoughts on how the event could be improved for next year.
“Maybe some new judges,” Martinez said with a laugh. “And fewer restrictions for the acts.”
With it being a lip-sync battle, awards were given out, and Martinez shared her opinions on the results.
“It felt like the judges were trying to please everyone,” Martinez said. “Personally, I thought the Bad Bunny performance should have won, but the Maui act had more kids involved, which may have helped them.”
