Once a Kid, Always a Kid!

Welcome to our 8th Annual Alumni Challenge! Every year, alumni like you make it possible for the Kids from Wisconsin to take the stage — and this year is no different. Your generous support helps cover the copyright costs that bring our 2026 show to life.

Here's how to get involved:

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It's that simple — and it means the world to our cast and crew.

All contributions received by May 15 will be recognized in our tour program

Thank you for your continued love and support. We can't wait to see you throughout the summer! 🌟

America's Soundtrack — 2026 Show Medleys & Song Lists

Our country's fabric is interwoven with the sounds and rhythms of our unique music genres that continue to shape our identity and unite generations.

Join Kids From Wisconsin in their 58th season as we honor the 250th anniversary of this great nation with America's great composers, songwriters, musicians and instrumentalists. Our show will salute their creativity, innovation, and unforgettable contributions to the world of music.

From the smoky pulse of rhythm and blues to the soaring spirit of jazz, from the electric fire of rock and roll to the raw power of soul, and from chart-topping pop to timeless folk, country and classic Broadway, this live show—brought to life by Wisconsin’s finest young performers—ignites the very heartbeat of American music.

ACT 1

Rockin' America America will soon mark a defining moment — 250 years of independence. Join the KIDS as they pay tribute to the music, musicians, and bands that have shaped the soundtrack of our nation. Together, we'll honor the legacy, rhythm, and spirit that continue to move America forward.

Rockin' The Paradise (Styx)
Celebrate Freedom (Phil Driscoll)

Great American Songbook Often referred to as "American Standards", these legendary songs, show tunes and jazz standards published during the Golden Age have stood the test of time. Created mostly for Broadway theatre and Hollywood films, these popular and enduring melodies from the 1920s to the 1950s were created by Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Harry James and many other legendary composers.

Rhapsody In Blue (George Gershwin)
There's No Business Like Show Business (Irving Berlin)
Puttin On The Ritz (Irving Berlin)
Blues In The Night (Harold Arlen)
Tea For Two (Vincent Youmans)
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Harold Arlen)
I'm Beginning To See The Light (Duke Ellington)
The Trolley Song (Hugh Martin)
Alexander's Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin)

Toto — An American Rock Band Toto really lived up to their name— "in toto"—by blending unusually wide ranges of musical styles. Formed in Los Angeles in 1977, the group is made up of elite session players who had already worked with major artists across genres, which explains their incredible musical range. Songs like Africa, Rosanna, and Hold the Line show off that signature blend—tight musicianship, memorable hooks, and genre-crossing appeal.

Child's Anthem
Hold The Line
I Won't Hold Back
Africa
Rosanna

R.O.C.K. In The USA Expect high-energy, big vocals, and lots of attitude — the kind that stitches together classic rock hits into one crowd-hyping medley. Grand Funk Railroad, James Brown, Boston, and Joan Jett are just some of the artists and bands in this tribute to classic American rock energy in one package.

We're An American Band (Grand Funk Railroad)
Kids In America (Kim Wilde)
American Pie (Don McLean)
Living in America (James Brown)
Rock & Roll Band (Boston)
I Love Rock And Roll (Joan Jett)
R.O.C.K in the USA (John Mellencamp)
Heart of Rock and Roll (Huey Lewis)
All American Girl (Carrie Underwood)

T.O.P. Adjacent (Gordon Goodwin) Gordon Goodwin left a huge mark on jazz education and big band music. His music always pushed players with challenging, funky, and incredibly fun charts, while still making the audience groove. The KIDS band honors this legend by playing one of his greatest hits that channels the sound of another great funk band, Tower of Power.

America's Heart and Soul Music that makes you feel something and captures the emotional core and uniquely diverse American sound. The 3 influences of gospel, folk and classical are foundational threads in the fabric of American music and can be heard across every genre and influencers like Neil Diamond, Carole King/James Taylor, Aaron Copeland and Elvis Presley.

Operator (Manhattan Transfer)
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show (Neil Diamond)
You've Got A Friend (Carole King/James Taylor)
Hoedown (Aaron Copeland)
American Trilogy (Elvis Presley)

ACT 2

American Bandstand American Bandstand, a music and dance television program, aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 influencing fashion, dance, and youth culture. Its best-known incarnation was legendary host and producer Dick Clark, the primary presenter for over three decades. The show reflected changing musical tastes in real time — from early rock 'n' roll to Motown, pop, and new wave.

Bandstand Boogie (Barry Manilow)
Splish Splash (Bobby Darin)
At The Hop (Danny & The Juniors)
Jailhouse Rock (Elvis)
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (The Righteous Brothers)
Baby Love (The Supremes)
I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
We Got The Beat (The Go-Go's)

New York State of Mind One of the hottest spots in America for music, NYC, has the KIDS band combining two songs, Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and Wisconsin-based Youngblood Brass Band's "Brooklyn". Together, they create a full-spectrum portrait of New York — both the soulful, introspective side and the vibrant, constantly moving energy of places like Brooklyn and Manhattan.

New York State Of Mind (Billy Joel)
Brooklyn (Youngblood Brass Band)

Broadway's American Composer The KIDS celebrates the backbone of musical theater — the musical composer. KIDS perform some of America's most influential writers of stage music: Steven Schwartz, Rogers and Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim, showcasing some of Broadway's biggest orchestral and classical hit numbers.

One Short Day (Wicked) (Stephen Schwartz)
The Prince Is Giving A Ball (Cinderella) (Rogers and Hammerstein)
Roarin' On (Great Gadsby) (Jason Howland)
Not While I'm Around / No One Is Alone / Send In The Clowns (Sondheim)
New York New York (Leonard Bernstein)

Sports Themes In the U.S., sports have a constant media presence across TV, radio, and streaming. All year round you can watch American sports like football, baseball, and basketball, to name a few. The KIDS band plays some of the anthems you're sure to hear and hype you for the game, whether you're cheering on America in the Olympics or just Waiting All Day for Sunday Night!

Waiting All Day For Sunday Night (Carrie Underwood)
NFL On Fox
NBA On NBC
MLB On FOX
Give It All You Got (Chuck Mangione)

Dare To Dream a Golden Dream The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation's past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.

Dare To Dream (Olivia Newton John/John Farnham)
Golden Dream (Bob Moline)

2026 Alumni Challenge

Help us cover copyright costs for the America's Soundtrack tour in our annual Alumni Challenge!