By Dan McGrath

A weary but elated group of singers – and, most recently, dancers – were back in class at Leo High School on Friday, happy to recount a show-stopping performance that lifted the world-renowned Leo Choir into the semifinal round of “America’s Got Talent.”

Adding live-wire choreography to their skill set, the Choir put on a rousing, live cover performance of “Believer,” by Imagine Dragons, in the show’s quarterfinals on Tuesday, August 26. The effort captivated the AGT judges and gained enough votes from NBC Television viewers nationwide to propel the Choir into the talent-discovery program’s semifinals.

“Honestly, it feels surreal,” senior Stephen Jackson said. “I feel like I’m a celebrity.”

The feeling will intensify if the Choir keeps advancing. They’ll head back to California on Sunday, Sept. 8 for another week of preparation before the semifinals air live on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

“In the words of the late, great Jim Valvano, ‘Survive and advance,’ “ Leo President Dan McGrath said after attending a quarterfinals watch party at Leo. “In the 15 years I’ve been at Leo, we’ve never had anything come close to this level of excitement. We’re very proud of the boys, Mrs. Hill, Dr. Rawls, Mrs. Horton – everybody who’s been involved.”

Results of quarterfinal competition were announced during an August 27 AGT telecast. Early on, the Lions were informed that they were “safe,” having placed within the top five of the 10 acts who had performed the night before.

A “Golden Buzzer” from one of the judges would have sent the Lions onto the finals automatically, but judge Mel B., a former Spice Girl, awarded her Golden Buzzer to Mama Duke, a jazz, soul and hip-hop singer from Austin, Texas.

So the Choir had to wait until the final few minutes of the one-hour telecast to learn that they’d had been voted into the semifinals, joining Bay Melnick Virgolino, a 10-year-old music prodigy from New York, and Unreal, a high-energy dance troupe from India.

Leo, Virgolino and Unreal will be among 12 acts competing in the semifinals. Jourdan Blue, Lightwire and Sirca Mare advanced last week, and the remaining six will be determined over the next two weeks of competition.

The finals will be held and carried live on NBC Sept. 23-24.

“Amazing. Just amazing,” Mrs. Hill said as her impending retirement remained on hold due to the Choir’s success. “It goes to show what can happen if you work hard and believe in yourself.”

Imaginative choreography was a wrinkle the Choir added in preshow preparations. Blake Moore and Derrick Davis punctuated the routine with back flips.

“We had to bring that big boom to the big stage,” Moore said.

With two trips to California behind them and a third coming up shortly, the singers are becoming seasoned travelers … but not tourists.

“These are business trips,” Dr. Rawls said. “The boys bring their laptops and attend classes remotely so they can keep up with their schoolwork. Then they put in long hours of hard work to prepare for the show. They’re not just representing themselves and their families and Leo, they’re representing the South Side of Chicago. We want to emphasize the importance of that.”