On April 18, The Duneland Exchange Club held their Annual Talent Showcase, and the display was riveting to say the least. The talent show not only provided a night of lively entertainment for the community, but also raised funds for the CHS chapter of Natural Helpers and spread the DEC’s mission of Child Abuse Prevention. The recent show marks 34 years of this beneficial, diverse, exciting event in the community.
The first two parts of the show belonged to the Primary Division (grades K-4) and the Junior Division (grades 5-8). Although these acts stole the hearts of the audience with their expertise and adorableness, the real stars of the show were in the Senior Division (grades 9-12). The nine senior contestants dropped jaws with their vast array of skills, making for a shocking exhibit of youth talent in the area.
First up was freshman Bella Purser, who shined singing “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid.” Purser’s show choir background was clear as day, taking into account her confident, zealous stage presence, stunning vocal range, and flawless poise. She truly sings like nobody is watching, gracefully exposing us to her phenomenal voice with a calm, unfazed demeanor. To put it simply, Purser was born for the spotlight.
Then came senior Sophia Sylvester with a breathtaking feature of “Those Were the Days” by Mary Hopkin. Sylvester’s voice was the perfect match for this haunting yet upbeat song. Her singing is truly one-of-a-kind: rare, classically beautiful, and deep yet feminine all at once. The concluding note was nothing short of operatic, held at an unwavering tone and volume for an ungodly length of time. Sylvester’s singing evoked the emotions of the audience with the delicacy and finesse of a Hall of Famer. Everything about this performance was cultivated for perfection.
Next up was freshman Te’Ari Reynolds with an a cappella cover of Laufey’s “From the Start.” To call Reynolds talented beyond her years is a gross understatement. It was magnificent to watch her progress through the song, faintly crescendoing her voice with the growing passion of the song, her expression and aesthetic suiting these transitions perfectly. Not to mention, she did it all without the emphasis of background music; Reynolds and Reynolds alone put on an elegant, inviting, professional-grade show.
Boldly straying from the common vocal act, freshman Jonathan Lus revealed his stellar skills in Martial Arts. Accompanied by the song “Wetworks,” Lus handled nunchucks and a samurai sword with expert ease, his calm, cool, and collected presence never faltering. Lus has the discipline of a soldier and the sharpness of a drill sergeant, handling his weapons with strength, speed, and security. Many times throughout the act, he moved so fast that if you blinked, you may have missed one of many wizardly tricks.
After Lus was junior Addie Moser, who sang “In My Dreams” from “Anastasia” in an authentic Disney Princess manner. To put it plainly, her voice is pure gold, shining whether it’s quiet or loud, soft or strong, high or low, dim or glowing. Moser performed with a shy sweetness, standing before the audience, but singing with a passion that showed she was in the far-off world of the music. Moser is a prime example of an artist who effortlessly embodies their art.
With this spectacular performance, Moser managed to place second overall in the Senior Division.
“There were a lot of good contestants, so I was really surprised, but really grateful, when I heard that I got second place,” says Moser on her success at the talent show.
Moser was followed by another one of these impressive contestants she speaks of; Freshman Katie Sim took the floor next with her vocalization of “From the Start” by Laufey. Sim sings with the understated, elegant presence of a seasoned performer who is deemed legendary before their time. Her voice and aesthetic are truly timeless. This song catered well to both the performers who sang it, and Sim’s act was a distinct, graceful, and classy take on the tune.
After Sim came Junior Anna Holmes, who captured third place overall with her unbelievable performance of “Nocturne in D-flat major” on the piano. Although Holmes is not so new to the spotlight, being a part of CHS Show Choir and having participated in three talent shows passed, her piano performing experience is limited to those three shows and volunteering at church. She kept this information hidden from the crowd, performing with the professionalism of a very seasoned concert pianist. Her classical skills wowed the crowd and judges, deeming her junior year talent show a roaring success.
“I thought I totally bombed the whole thing,” says Holmes humbly, “so I was very happy that I placed.”
Holmes’ shock at these results are a direct contradiction to the crowd’s overall reaction to her performance: we were dumbfounded at the work of this talented artist.
Next up was sophomore Mason Kutin with a groundbreaking electric guitar solo. His self-written score “Velocity X” shook the crowd, a stark contrast to the peaceful, pretty previous acts. Kutin exhibited excellent stamina, his precision never faltering throughout the extensive length of the song. Apart from the magnum opus of this act that is the sound production, Kutin also played on a very cool guitar. His performance was a large contribution to giving Chesterton a glimpse of real stardom.
Finally, Senior Karleigh Pawlyszyn took the stage, singing “Heart of Stone” from the musical “Six,” straight from her own heart. Pawlyszyn has an innate stage presence that she has enhanced with years of show choir experience. On top of that, her vocal range allows her to express every note of the song exactly as it was intended, immersing the audience into an honest emotional rollercoaster of the song. She is a phenomenal performer through and through, sporting an unshakable voice. Given these fortunate traits, Pawlyszyn won first place in the Senior Division, rightfully claiming the spotlight from that moment on.
The Duneland Exchange Club always puts on a good talent show, but the 34th performance is undoubtedly one for the books. The contestants blew the audience away with each of their unique exhibitions of talent, every act adding a skill to the long list of things we all wish we could do. Observing the vast geniuses of local students is an empowering and gratifying experience that the Exchange Club graciously provides for the Duneland community, and it is thanks to them that the town had such a wonderful night.
