Operation Rising Star, the servicewide singing contest that's been in place for more than a decade, also will not have a 2016 season, Army Installation Management Command officials said Friday while offering details on the cancellation of both programs.
"It is prudent in these times to ensure all Soldiers focus on their primary mission, and any resources saved are allocated to enable readiness for a self-reliant and globally-responsive All Volunteer Army," according to an IMCOM statement.
Lt. Gen. Kenneth Dahl, head of Army Installation Management Command, made the call to cancel the shows after discussing the matter Dec. 16 during an off-site budget meeting with senior leaders. The timing wasn't ideal for soldiers auditioning for the 2016 Soldier Show, which was to begin preparation in February for its worldwide tour of Army installations.
Dahl took command of IMCOM on Nov. 3.
Soldiers expecting to hear whether they'd be on the tour in early January instead were part of a group email informing them of the show's indefinite cancellation. Many auditioners reached out to Army Times to express surprise at the decision, but none wanted his or her name used.
"We were all wondering, 'Why did we go and perform if the Soldier Show wasn't going to be produced?' " one of the auditioners said, adding that the show, which started in 1983 but traces its roots to World War I-era performances, "was kind of something you never thought the Army would take away."
About 900 soldiers have participated throughout the history of the show, which cost $1.8 million to produce last year. About a half-dozen civilian contractors had been set to work on the tour; they also found out about the cancellation well into the production process.
IMCOM hasn’t given up on spreading the message of resiliency offered by the Broadway-style performance, but officials haven’t put exact plans in place for a replacement."
Soldiers participate in auditions for the 2016 Soldier Show at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, on Dec. 18 -- two days after the decision to cancel the show was reached.
Photo Credit: Jessica Ryan/Army
One possible partnership point, officials said: Working with soldiers connected to and supportive of the program on future projects. Many of those individuals, including some from the most recent round of auditions, have begun using the #SaveTheSoldierShow tag on social media.
'Idol' roots
Operation Rising Star began in 2005 as Military Idol and remains loosely based on Fox's "American Idol," which also ends its run in 2016. The contest had been open to active-duty, National Guard and Reserve service members and their spouses, with professional vocalists and singers with military bands ineligible.
Judges determined which local contest winners and online entrants would advance to the servicewide competition, where they would sing against their peers in performances streamed online. Winners were selected via fan and judge vote.
Winners at the garrison level received $750 in last year's contest, with the overall winner receiving an all-expenses paid trip to a professional recording studio and the chance to record a three-song demo CD. The package, including spending money, was worth about $18,700, according to the Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs website.
The program's total yearly budget came to $125,000, Dozier said.
Last year's final show, featuring the announcement of Air Force spouse and former Air Force Band singer Chelsea Tabisz as the 2015 winner, was published Dec. 5 on YouTube and had been viewed 914 times on that platform as of Friday morning.
Malcom said he was unaware of any planned cuts to or eliminations of other IMCOM programs, including at least one other effort that features soldiers performing duties outside their primary specialties: The World Class Athlete Program, which allows active-duty troops to train for Olympic and other elite-level competition. Many soldiers in that program are preparing for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, which begin in August.
The cancellations were not related to the Air Force's recent decision to pull the plug on its touring Tops in Blue troupe, IMCOM officials said. That group's 2012 tour resulted in more than $130,000 worth of damages from truck accidents as well as accusations of sexual harassment and toxic leadership; results of an investigation into the tour requested by Air Force Times were mailed by the service to the newspaper Dec. 21, the same day the program's cancellation was announced.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
