Franklin Regional senior Anthony DeFilippo is looking forward to getting back behind the microphone at this year’s Holiday Showcase, which will take the place of the annual telethon for the second year in a row, albeit with a bit more creative freedom than last year.

“This year, it will be in the auditorium,” DeFilippo, 17, said of the showcase set for Dec. 22. “We’re not letting people in to watch the show live.”

As in previous years, the event will be broadcast on both Comcast local access Channel 19 and on the Franklin Regional channel on YouTube.

This year’s holiday showcase will be a mix of pre-recorded videos, including performances by district bands and choral groups; live shots; and news features on the clubs that would typically be lining the hallways collecting donations when the event was a telethon.

The telethon last year took place in the spring, with media production students staging the event outdoors and bringing back the charity aspect.

“We had a great time with that,” said senior Olivia Ciotti, 17. “We were outside and there was a lot more that we could do, whether it was moving around, doing live interviews and other stuff.”

High school multimedia teacher Becky Magness said she plans to bring back the spring telethon, and that it may become a regular event.

“We might keep it going, moving forward,” she said. “It was a lot of fun, and with all the end-of-year testing going on, it was a nice break for everyone.”

First, however, they’ll be broadcasting the Holiday Showcase, and Magness said viewers will be able to donate if they’d like.

“We’re showcasing what all the clubs have done, and during the show we’ll feature the high school’s Unified Club,” she said. The club raises money for Special Olympics Pennsylvania, culminating in the annual “Polar Plunge,” typically held at Heinz Field and pitting kids and adults against the shattering cold of Western Pennsylvania water in February.

Last year, FR officials held a localized version.

As for this year’s showcase, Ciotti said the small size of this year’s multimedia class adds another challenge.

“There’s a lot of people who will be doing multiple things at one time,” she said. “This year, we have just enough people to do what we need.”