An Interview with New England Judge Lennie Machado

By Michael James Breen, New England contributor

Show choir directors, choreographers, students and fans alike all love competition. But to make it a competition, there has to be judges. In New England, there are some familiar faces that that are judging every single year at competitions. One of those is the ever-present Lennie Machado. Hailing from the state of Massachusetts, Machado is a well known teacher, clinician, judge, costume designer, and color guard choreographer. He wears many hats in the community, but most importantly, he is a respected voice in the circuit and personal mentor to many.

I was able to interview Lennie to get an insight on how he judges and his perception of the show choir community as whole. His perspective as a judge brings some wise points to mind and also includes some great moments from a long career.

Michael James Breen: How did you get involved with the New England show choir community? What is your current participation in the community?

Lennie Machado: "I was directing and choreographing for multiple high school theaters. I was also choreographing winter color guards across New England when I met Greg "Bubba" Bussiere. Bubba was aware of my theater performance background and asked if I would be interested in judging a local event. That was back in 2005, and I have been judging ever since. I am judging three events this year and continue to do clinics whenever possible."

MJB: What makes New England show choir unique? How would you describe/introduce someone to the activity for the first time?

LM: "I think the thing about New England show choir that is incredible is how the area has married the styles of other regions into its own unique style. Each area of the country has its own unique approach to show choir, and in New England you can certainly see the influence of all of these styles on our groups. At every New England event you will find choirs who are beginning, advanced and continuing to emerge. These three levels give a very unique arch to each event."

MJB: What makes a great show choir show?

LM: "Oh boy, that is a loaded question. There is so much that goes into a performance that the list could go on for days. I think there are some key points however, that are present in all successful shows. Number one - a program that is designed for the students within it. By that, I mean the staff specifically plans the theme, song choices and choreography for the students that will be performing and not for who they hope will be in the group. Number two - training that supports the choices made for the group. It’s great to teach a choir choreography and music, but in order for the team to achieve they need a foundation of training that supports the skills that are demonstrated. Number three - Commitment. Staff, performers, pit band, everyone involved."

MJB: What stands out to you in this season’s [2025's] round of competition shows?

LM: "This season in New England, the thing that stands out to me the most and is super exciting is that everyone has taken a big step up from their previous years’ shows. For some teams that means a new level of achievement from performers, while in others there is a new concept of design. It feels like many directors, especially in the more advanced groups, are taking a step outside of their comfort zones and that has made for some great concepts and performances."

MJB: What would you like to see more of from the groups in the circuit?

LM: "I am not sure that there is anything specific that would apply to all groups. I truly enjoy how everyone in the area is sincerely supportive of each other. When you have 1,000 young adults in a controlled environment making art and enjoying each other’s work, there’s not a lot more you can ask for. I think my one wish for the area is continued growth in numbers. I would love for every high school in the region to understand the show choir activity and begin a program in their school."

MJB: You are a well-known color guard show designer and choreographer for the legendary Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps, how would you say that the two activities are similar in the design and choreography aspect?

LM: "It’s interesting. On the surface the two seem to be completely different. However, when you begin to dissect the two, they run very parallel processes. The design concepts and process is nearly identical. Sitting in a room deciding on a concept for the show, picking music that supports the theme and is accessible to the members as well as the audience, creating that arc to the show that tells the story and at the end of the performance leaves the audience affected. In Drum Corps, they use brass instruments and percussion in the way that choirs use their voices. They have a color guard and visual ensemble that tell the story through choreography. There are obvious differences, in show choir we have about 50-60 members on a stage and in drum corps we have 150 members on a football field. But, they are both youth activities that put together music and choreography designed for a specific group of students to give them the performance opportunities of a lifetime."

MJB: You also have made costumes for groups around the region, where do you find the inspiration to create new garments? What is a look that you are most proud of?

LM: "I began costume design back in high school for both the theater company and the color guard. My mom was a seamstress so I could design whatever I wanted, and she would make it come to reality. The inspiration comes from the theme of each show. I love to do research and on styles of a specific time period or artistic movement and put my own little twist to it. About five years ago, I designed a dress for the opening of [Somerset Berkley] Electrify’s show. It was a super cute 1950s-style dress in a royal blue satin with a halter top neckline that I thought looked adorable on stage."

MJB: What do you look for or pay attention to most while judging a competition?

LM: "When I am judging, I try to find as many ways as I can to recognize good things. In my mind I want to reward all of the great things I see and hear. A build-up system, if you will. I try to recognize the difficulty of things involved when I make a judgement on achievement of things. For example, one choir may have a squeaky clean dance break while another has some minor timing issues, but the second choir is doing advanced choreography and singing while doing the choreo, which could mean they are achieving more even if they are not as clean."

MJB: Do you have any advice for any seasoned or future judges?

LM: "I think the biggest advice I could give would be to remember that we are not there to make choices, that is the job of the staff of the choir.  Our job as a judge is to evaluate the choices that were made. Are the choices made consistent throughout the choir? Does everyone achieve the choices at the same level? Do the choices made help me to understand the message the show is trying to get across?  Those are the types of questions we answer as judges. I do my best to not allow the way I would have done something to affect the way I appreciate the way someone else has chosen to do it. It is a difficult skill, judging, but I believe if we guide ourselves in this way we take a lot of the subjectivity out of judging and keep the task to evaluating."

MJB: What are your favorite show(s) of all time? They could be ones that you have helped clinic/design/judged/watched in general.

LM: "Oh boy! The list is huge. I will spare you all of my explanations and list in no particular order a few that pop into my mind:

• Burbank "In Sync" 2017

• Daniel Hand "VIBE" 2024

• John Burroughs "Powerhouse" - the Vogue year [Ed. note: 2009]

• Shepherd Hill "Fantasy" - the Paint year

• Waltham "Music Unlimited" 2022

• Onalaska "Hilltoppers" 2018