This year, VAPA moved its annual showcase online. Normally, the talent show is held in the auditorium, but under this year’s circumstances, they hosted the event on Mar. 4 as a livestream conducted through zoom.
Seniors Michael Alongi and Daniel Baradat along with junior Collette Lonchar hosted the showcase. They provided witty commentary and plenty of puns as they guided the audience through the performances.
Alongi, Baradat, and Lonchar gave live commentary but the performances were pre recorded so they could easily be played in succession.
“We just wrote puns and tried to have fun with it,” said Baradat. “I personally thought it went great. It’s something that, while it’s better in person, translates really well to a virtual medium. It also opened up gateways to new types of performances, like Hailey Bowland’s time lapse drawing, something that wasn’t really possible before.”
The showcase’s first performance was by the Mane Event Dancers. Their performance stuck to a retro theme with 50s music and vintage dresses that kicked the show off on a lighthearted and fun note. Their well choreographed routine was recorded at an outdoor stage located in Land Park.
Parker Van Ostrand (‘21) performed a classical piano piece, Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 35. In an interview, Van Ostrand described the piece as “very contrasting…. It starts out very dramatic, agitated and even turbulent. Parts of the piece are very mysterious, while some parts are really beautiful and lyrical, and the piece ends very heroically.”
Van Ostrand is a world-renowned pianist and has showcased his talent in seven different countries. In past years, he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and most recently at the 10th National Chopin Piano Competition as the youngest participant. Parker will also compete in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland later in the year.
Katelyn Guo (‘24), another musician, played a classical flute piece. Guo’s music was uplifting, intoxicating, and peaceful – the audience was truly delighted. The following performance was by vocalist Ellie Mizushima (‘22), who sang the song “Dance with Me” from the musical, Prom. The pre-recorded set up allowed Mizushima to sing both parts of the duet and sync them together to create a beautiful amalgamation of sound.
There were a couple impressive baton performances by Arielle and Bessa Miller (‘21) and Clare McCarty (‘21). These flawless performances demonstrated incredible rhythm, nuance and skill as they captivated the audience with their fluidity.
Hailey Bowlwin (‘21) showed a unique time lapse of her completing a dragon drawing. She added a rendition of “Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty to give the video a majestical feel. She was able to do this unorthodox performance as mentioned by Baradat by pre recording it and adding edits. The virtual setup allowed for different types of performances as they weren’t required to be live and the performers could add edits. A performance like this wouldn’t normally be featured in the in-person annual showcase, so this new format gave performers a unique opportunity and allowed for more artists to be featured.
Ne’Kayla Irvine (‘21) also had quite a unique performance. Irvine gathered countless quotes about VAPA students’ interpretation of the nature of art, and provided the audience a slideshow depicting stand-out pieces of visual art produced by McClatchy students.
Katherine Taytroe (‘22) played a romantic solo guitar series that exuded deep, thought-provoking emotion. Parts of the piece were faster while others seemed more intricate and nuanced. Taytroe’s fingers danced across the cords seamlessly and entranced viewers.
To cap off a brilliantly executed showcase, audience members heard from the band, Dross. This popular McClatchy band never fails to put on an electrifying performance. When they normally perform at the showcase, they use stage lights to give energizing effects, but this year they used their own lights and edited in pictures to enhance their performance.
While this showcase was held under different circumstances this year, the emcees still brought the same energy to the show and the performers brought extraordinary and unique performances that graced the audience.
“The showcase is a really special event to VAPA. It has always been a really fun night and great fundraiser. While this year was a bit different, it was still a wonderful experience,” said Alongi.