Photo by Joanne Degnan/The Sun
Brendan Barca (Mr. August) sings “I’m Like a Bird” during dress rehearsals for the school’s “Mr. RHS” production, a tongue-in-cheek fundraiser for the senior class that features 12 seniors in a friendly competition billed as a cross between “American Idol” and a male beauty pageant.

ROBBINSVILLE –  Robbinsville High School’s 12 calendar guys will be bringing everything from tutus and trumpets to boas and bling to the stage tonight (Feb. 26), but in the end only one can be chosen to wear the Mr. RHS 2013 crown.

The friendly competition, which organizers are billing as a cross between “American Idol” and an all-male version of “Miss America,” begins at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium. Audience members vote for their favorite performer in this annual school fundraiser, which helps defray the cost of the senior prom.

A dozen seniors, each representing a different month of the year, will be showcasing their unique talents in a series of over-the-top skits that include singing, dancing, juggling, rapping, karaoke, unicycles and standup comedy. Hairy legs, bikini tops, tutus, feather boas and blond rock-star wigs are in abundance.

Each contestant will also be interviewed by the student emcees, whose probing questions (“Do you have a talent or a pickup line to share?”) are designed to help the audience discern who is most deserving of the Mr. RHS 2013 crown.

Voting takes place during intermission, followed by a student-produced behind-the-scenes video about the making of the stage production. Next is the “formalwear strut” when each contestant, escorted by two senior girls, will model his tuxedo while a tongue-in-cheek biography is read by the emcees.

Photo by Joanne Degnan/The Sun
Ryan Febles (Mr. July) shows off his karaoke skills to the amusement of his fellow contestants (from left) San Acheampong (Mr. October), Steve Krebs (Mr. November) and Matt Forno (Mr. December) during rehearsals.

The showstopper, however, is the choreographed Bernie dance with all 12 contestants swaying limply to the beat  while leaning backward (as if having a nosebleed) in moves inspired by the dancing conga line corpse from the 1989 “Weekend at Bernie’s” movie.

The contestants in the 2013 Mr. RHS pageant are: Mr. January, Raul Jairam; Mr. February, Tyler DeMartin; Mr. March, Niraj Nayak; Mr. April, Kenny Wright; Mr. May, Dalton Bischer; Mr. June, David Haftel; Mr. July, Ryan Febles; Mr. August, Brendan Barca; Mr. September, Dom Schillaci; Mr. October, Sam Acheampong; Mr. November, Steve Krebs; and Mr. December, Matt Forno.

Tickets can be purchased at the door and cost $10 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens.