Willowbrook Orchestra Director selected as contestant on TV show ‘Family Feud’

Willowbrook Orchestra Director Jan Bobek (second from left) competes on "Family Feud" with his siblings, (from left) Jeffrey, Matt, Daniel and Donna. They highlighted their musical talents and Polish heritage during the episode, which will air at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 on WPWR-TV channel 50 (My50 Chicago).

Willowbrook Orchestra Director Jan Bobek (right) competes on "Family Feud" with his siblings, (from left) Jeffrey, Matt, Donna and Daniel. They're pictured with "Family Feud" host Steve Harvey.

Be sure to watch the Feb. 25 broadcast of the TV show “Family Feud” to see a familiar face to the Willowbrook community!

Willowbrook Orchestra Director Jan Bobek will be on the show with his four siblings – Matt, Daniel, Jeffrey and Donna – to try and win $20,000! The group auditioned for the show in November 2018, after Bobek’s brother Daniel saw an ad on Facebook for tryouts in Schaumburg.

In “Family Feud,” two families of five try to guess what the “survey said” in polls conducted with 100 people. The Bobeks knew they needed a way to stand out from everyone else auditioning, and it was a natural choice to highlight the family’s musical talents and Polish heritage. They played the “Family Feud” theme song on the violin, viola and bass and wore traditional Polish Highlander clothing.

When they didn’t hear back for a while, Bobek said he and the rest of his family figured they hadn’t been selected to advance. So when they received a call a few weeks later inviting them to the next round of auditions, they were pleasantly surprised.

“We were ecstatic,” Bobek said. “When you think something isn’t going to happen, and then you get that call, there are so many emotions. We were like, ‘Alright, now we need to get to work and prepare.’”

Bobek said they trained for about three months to get ready and to help ensure they were selected as contestants. They had conference calls three days a week to practice and discuss strategies, researched previous episodes and got together to watch the show. After some more auditions, the Bobeks were chosen to be on the show, and the episode was filmed this past June in Hollywood. While Bobek is unable to share the outcome of their performance, he said it’s a memory and opportunity they will always cherish.

“It was awesome and just unreal,” Bobek said. “You’re nervous and want to do well, and you want to present and represent yourself in the best way possible. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, and the best part was building our relationship as siblings.”

The “Family Feud” episode featuring Bobek will air at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 on WPWR-TV channel 50 (My50 Chicago). For more information about the show, go to www.familyfeud.com.