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Wednesday, May 30, 2012 By David Morgan
 Andrew Hibbard, Bobby Simpson, and Jacob Favors (first place winners) - Brooke Johnson
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They
started filing in almost an hour before the show was to start. We had
been practicing on stage for nearly two hours in preparation for the
last time we would ever play on it. The stage was a flood of
percussion instruments, mic cables, amplifiers, drum kits, guitar cases
and stray sheets of paper, the air thickening as more and more bodies
crowded into the auditorium seats, and the anxiety increased as others
on stage realized what was soon going to happen. The percussion room was jam-packed with students with guitars rehearsing one last time, and the hall with singers harmonizing
to warm up their voices to get ready to belt it out on stage. Stage
hands paced back and forth, checking and re-checking wires on
amplifiers and switches on power-strips. "One more time," I said to Jacob, Bobby, and Michael. We played the song again, for at least the tenth time that day.
This
is the life (if only for a little while) of a person with an act in the
talent show. It may seem like a small task to some (learn song, go on
stage, perform song) but to others it is the few minutes they get to be
recognized for a skill or talent that otherwise would fly completely
under the radar at our selectively spirited school. Some students form
groups a few weeks before the show to prepare while others utilize
existing bands and performers. Setting up the show is no small task
either, and includes plenty of stagehands and sound engineers to ensure
there are no hiccups between (and most importantly, during) acts.
Carolyn Conrad represented the sophomore class this year and took
charge in leading the show.
This year things were
a little different from normal, and the RHS talent show wasn't
announced until almost the end of the year. This gave the acts even
less time than normal to prepare and rehearse, but from experience I
can say it had no detrimental impact on any of the performances. In
fact, this was probably the single best talent show I've participated
in during my four years at high school.
From astounding musical acts such as Illana Olden and Bobby
Simpson as well as Andrew Hibbard who won second and first place,
respectively, to the hilarious improv of Andrew Dunn and obligatory
Chris Farley skit done by Jake Shields and friends, every act was even
more breathtaking than the last. The tension backstage quickly
dissolved as the performers returned from their act, relieved and
excited. Heartwarming songs such as the one written and performed by
Matt Hibbard created a dream-like air that I'm not afraid to admit
tearing up to during. The atmosphere altered greatly between
performances, and by the end of it all one would swear they'd felt
every emotion they ever thought possible.
It may not seem like the biggest thing to happen at school
each year, but the variety show can be easily overlooked by the average
student. To imagine the sheer amount of work and effort that gets put
into a single two-hour show can be daunting, but shouldn't discourage
anyone from showing up and exhibiting their skills. With a whole class
of seniors graduating this year the school needs more underclassmen to
step up and take the place of those departed, so don't be afraid to at
least come to tryouts next year to see what it's all about.
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