Variety show for all ages
December 6, 2013
Singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument or playing an instrument and singing while dancing on a unicycle; whatever there is a talent for, it was found at the Theatre Department’s Showcase variety show where students took center stage performing any acts they saw fit. The performances were on Nov. 22-23 in the auditorium.
Performers auditioned a few weeks prior to the performances. While performers were open to choose their content, they were required to attend auditions with a clear idea and perform in front of Heari Tollefson, the theatre department director.
The lights went dark down and out walked juniors Maddy Boettner and Colin Peters, his acoustic guitar in his hand. Boettner sang “I’m Yours,” originally by Jason Mraz, with great emotion and pitch control. The pair utilized the live instrument instead of a back track, which helped to create a soothing tone to the piece and perfect for the opening act.
Young or elderly, the variety show has proven to be for all. “Stormy Weather,” sang most famously by Lena Horne in 1943, was the choice of 80 year old Judy Hansen as she took stage next to the piano under a spotlight.
Senior Kjerstin Berg said Hansen was her favorite act because, “she was super cute and she did dance moves with an umbrella.”
Fourth grader Brea Davis danced up and down the stage to the piece “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley. Davis choreographed the dance herself, and showed the audience her skills in ballet.
Juniors Kallie Quist and Samantha Flipp become wicked as they sing “What is this feeling?” from the show Wicked.
The show on Friday night had slightly different acts than on Saturday. Sophomore Kallie Quist performed a duet of “What is this Feeling” from “Wicked” with sophomore Samantha Flipp and a solo of “Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend” by Marilyn Monroe.
“Samantha and I thought [What is this Feeling] would be a a lot of fun because we are best friends but the song is about how we hate each other,” said Quist.
An act that stood out among them all, though, was senior Libby Lambert’s rendition of “Ave Maria” by Beyonce. Lambert’s vocal strength resonated throughout the auditorium, as she sang the opera-like selection.
The selection process for Lambert’s choice was significantly technical.
“I thought Ave Maria portrayed a lot of the lower range and the upper range of my voice, and I liked how it all fit together,” explained Lambert. “I would not make opera my main focus, but if I did get the opportunity to do an opera I think I would.
Brooke Knoll’s performance stood out among the rest as well. She performed a rendition of “Moon River,” as made famous by the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” on her harp. Knoll has been playing the harp for ten years, and wishes to continue for the rest of her life.
Knoll explained the selection of her piece was determined when theatre director Heari Tollefson asked her to play the piece in this years variety show.
“I have been in ever single Showcase since the first one in 2009.” added Knoll, “It’s kind of a traditional event for me to do something for the performances.”
The acts in this year’s Showcase Variety Show were phenomenal, and even had acts that stood out among the rest as spectacular.
Orjana Stepien • Jan 13, 2014 at 4:36 am
I really like how you started the article out! It made me want to continue reading and I liked how you explained how the show started and with who. It had a lot of great details in it and you can tell you really researched and worked hard on this article. The details you used about the singers and how they sounded was also very well written. This article was fun to read and you did a good job!
Brinna Dochniak • Jan 13, 2014 at 1:59 am
I was drawn in instantly. The lead was not only informative but well written and compelling as well. I like that you had so much detail. You can see all the effort and passion you put into the article. I’m impressed with the way it was written and I throughly enjoyed reading it from start to finish
Sydney • Jan 13, 2014 at 1:42 am
Love the lead. It not only pulls you in, but keeps the options of talent so open, and I think that’s really cool! Your article was very written and covered all the bases of a variety show, while making it very unique. The information and quotes you had supported your article nicely, great job!
Paul Hudachek • Jan 12, 2014 at 8:32 pm
I was first enamored by the successful effort at making an interesting article post, nice job there. The lead kept me going form there, it was clever and I could feel the tone from the start. Your article was well-rounded well-researched, well-understood, and I could feel a level of passion and respect. Nicely done.
Olivia Braun • Jan 12, 2014 at 6:33 am
Definitely has a very compelling lead! It draws you right into the article. The links are very strong and help contribute to the depth of the article. This article had a very nice flow and pointed out good detail to the readers. Well done!
Brooke Gedatus • Jan 6, 2014 at 11:37 pm
I loved the intro,it really caught my attention. I really liked how you gave information from behind the scenes and the steps taken leading up too the play it’s self. This article was very well layed out and gave a lot of information and details that the audience would not have known themselves.
Madeline Ek • Jan 1, 2014 at 5:41 pm
I really liked the way you opened the story it told me right away what I was going to be reading about in the piece. I didn’t know anyone in the community could be a part of the variety show I think that’s very interesting! The only thing I can see that you could do to make the article more interesting is add some more quotes from the community members that performed in the show!
Cassandra Carter • Dec 31, 2013 at 8:54 pm
Very well done lead! I think you did an excellent job covering the different types of acts and age groups displayed in the performances for the variety show. The additional research that you did for each piece added a nice level of depth to the article.