Talent Show Review

Talent Show Review

Morgan Sly

What’s the best way to get students to attend an event? Let them get out of class. That was the strategy taken by the organizers of the FCCLA Talent Show. Hordes of students showed up to watch their peers perform in the Talawanda Performing Arts Center. The lineup consisted of singers, dancers, and Extreme Week challenges. Some standout moments were performances by Connor Smith, Clinton Askren, Anger against AI, and Ben Brown. 

Sophomore Connor Smith performed twice for a total of 3 songs, including “The Sound of Silence” and the House of the Rising Sun. The winner of the 2022 Talent Show, Connor showcased his amazing voice and guitar skills with his acoustic covers of well-known songs. 

Sophomore Ben Brown sang the emotional song  “Light of Hope” by Tomoya Ohtani.

Anger Against AI is a band composed of juniors Will Salzarulo and Tyler Kirkpatrick, and seniors Damon Byrd and Henry Harper. They are known for their regular Setting Stone Coffeehouse performances, but this was their debut talent show performance. They performed two covers of Rage Against the Machine songs and then sang Crazy Train.  

Dominic Pirigyi sang “When I Was Your Man” while playing the piano.

The winner of the 2023 Talent Show was Clinton Askren. He won over the crowd with his Michael Jackson-esque dance moves to Smooth Criminal and Billie Jean. 

Interspersed between the acts were Extreme Week events, capping off with Julio Fuentes getting cake toppings poured on top of him. This was definitely not a Talent Show to miss. 

Feature Photo Credit:  Hannah Hoblitzell