On Wednesday November 4 at 7 p.m. in the Lawrence High auditorium, FYI Club hosted its annual talent show. Funds raised benefit Lawrence High students in need of financial assistance and also provide a few scholarships for students involved in the prevention program.
The talent show judges included Brad Simon (former band and drum corps instructor and choreographer), Emily Hues (Director of Dance Hues Studio in Lawrence), and Emily Walsh (KU School of Music graduate student studying violin performance).
Emcees Haley Harwood, Jordan Payne, and Kimberly Oyler hosted the two-act show of performances.
The first act included a sign language interpretation of “O’ Happy Day”, fiesta dancing, and guitar/vocal performance spoof of Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” entitled “Ebay”.
The Sweater Vests, the 2008 champions, sang “Happy Together” and then closed the first act with “A Prelude to Intermission: Snickers”, a humorous commercial prompting audience members to purchase snickers bars and more from the concessions table.
An A Cappella performance of “Birds at the Dawning” graced the second act, followed by two student-written pieces: “Complicasic” by Lucas Parker and “Hey Matilda” by Himal Sherchan.
Throughout the show, the emcees drew raffle tickets for prizes. The prizes were donated by Creation Station, Perkins, Backyard Burger, Sonic, and other vendors.
While the judges deliberated, Addison Frei entertained the crowd with jazz piano and Lucas Parker joined him on string bass.
The winners:
- 1st Vocal “Birds at the Dawning”: Martha Allen, Olivia Johnson, Regan Keller, Hannah Lopez, and Jasmine Sims
- 2nd Vocal “Happy Together”: The Sweater Vests (Evan Georgie, Calvin Morgan, Derrick Weishaar,Thomas Wheatley)
- 3rd Vocal “Hey Matilda”: Himal Sherchan
- 4th [tie] Vocal/Guitar “Complicasic” Lucas Parker & Vocal/Piano “You Are So Beautiful” Evan Georgie
- 5th [tie] Native American Jingle Dress Dance: Landri James & Fiesta Dancing: Justine Garcia and Raquel Rodriquez
- 6th Vocal/Piano“Never Alone” Meghan Hornbaker