On March 11th, Wheatley’s Tri-M Honor Society hosted its sixth annual kickoff event to Showdown, Wheatley’s Got Talent. This event, which is one of the most well attended events that Tri-M hosts, brought great talent to the stage for students, teachers, and parents to enjoy. Since Wheatley’s Got Talent is an annual Showdown event, the winner earns 25% of the ticket sales for their grade and the grade with the most attendance earns showdown points. This year’s contestants had interesting and entertaining talents and students made sure to come and support their grade!
The event was hosted by junior Jacob Kaufman and sophomore Kaileigh Fiorillo who kept the audience engaged and excited throughout the night. After a preliminary audition, contestants were chosen by class officers to see who would perform at the live event. This year’s contestants were all so talented and different in their own way and the audience was very eager to hear each of the acts. The 2019 competitors were Julia Dioguardi and Katherine Bosnack, Alyssa Belle, “The Bacon Road Boys,” Sofia Fuertes, Bangerzz, Alex Horowitz, and “The Moondogs.”
First to perform was the senior vocal duo, Julia Dioguardi and Katherine Bosnack. As close friends for years, Julia and Katherine shared a video montage of the memories they have made over the years. They beautifully sang “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars and it was the perfect song for them to sing together. Alyssa Belle was next to perform and her amazing guitar skills impressed everyone as she performed “Faded” by Alan Walker. This junior has performed at Wheatley’s Got Talent in the past and always captivates the audience with her raw talent. “The Bacon Road Boys” which are made up of four sophmores (James Dearborn, Adam Fox, Adam Naghavi and Michael Vitucci) gave a memorable performance as they showcased their singing and dancing skills. They performed a the popular Carly Rae Jepsen song, “Call Me Maybe” and their unforgettable act made them a crowd favorite. Sofia Fuertes brought a beautiful lyrical dance solo to the stage, wowing everyone with her grace and poise. Sofia, who has been dancing since she was two years old and dances competitively on a team showed her experience and talent throughout her performance. The act, “Bangerzz,” which is comprised of Paidraig Brady, Ally Keller, Amanda Kim, Amanda Molstad, Ashely Vicenzo, Kenton Wu, Alia Yamin, and Camellia Ye performed an impressive instrumental act with plastic tubes called “Boomwhackers.” They surprised everyone with their cooperation and musicality while playing the song, “Africa” by Toto. Alex Horowitz, an amicable junior, was the next and she performed a stand up comedy routine for everyone. Her act was full of laughs and her sarcastic tone about a personal event really made everyone smile. Last to perform was “The Moondogs” a band whose members include Dan Fox, Mahesh Pitchayan, Billy Cafarelli, Max Hochstein, and Mike Roudbai. They impressed everyone with their confidence on stage and were really able to perform for everyone.
After a brief intermission, the five judges, who were each grade advisor, came to a decision about the three acts they wanted to move on. They selected three different, but great acts: “Bangerzz,” “The Moondogs,” and Sofia Fuertes. “The Moondogs” were first to perform for the second round and brought it all to the stage. Their rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” was entertaining and it was enjoyable for everyone to hear such a great song being performed. “Bangerzz” were next and they once again performed a popular song, “Don’t Stop Believing.” This song and their apparent musical abilities brought a greater excitement to the stage. Sofia finished the round with a dynamic and confident performance which the crowd loved. She danced to a Micheal Jackson favorite and her rountinue was perfect, as she made every step look effortless. After the three acts, audience votes were counted and the winner was announced. All of the acts were so talented and deserving, but this year the audience choose “The Moondogs” as the Wheatley’s Got Talent winner. “The Moondogs” ended the night with one more great performance and were awarded almost 800 dollars for the senior class.
This year, Wheatley’s Got Talent was a great success for all and showcased many students’ various talents. All of the acts were impressive and the students definitely enjoyed supporting their grade throughout the night. So, if you think you have an amazing talent, be sure to come and try out for Wheatley’s Got Talent next year-maybe you could be the next winner!