- March 11th, 2024
- Monday 7 pm
- Arielle Kruger: Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez
- Johanna Ginu: Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid
- Kayla Xu: Un Sospiro by Franz Liszt
- Intermission: Benjamin Friedrich & Priscilla Shin: All I Want by Olivia Rodrigo
- William Sellerberg’s: Heart of Glass by Blondie
- Pavithra Eswar: Fingers Crossed by Lauren Spencer Smith
- Jacob Ferraro, Arsal Ijaz, and Nayiri Barton (JAN): Band Decode by Paramore
Once again the annual Wheatley’s Got Talent competition fills the Wheatley Auditorium with students, families, alums, and staff alike to support the musicians in our community. When the clock struck 7, Mr. Wiener sent out an urgent message encouraging Wheatley students to make an appearance for their peers in exchange for Showdown points. Gold tinsel hung down from the auditorium entrances, blue and purple streamers draped the perimeter of the auditorium, and metallic star cutouts reflected the LED lights attached to the edge of the stage. As the lights dimmed and the chatter died down, silver balloons anchored the rows of seats being quickly filled up. The warm bask of the overhead lights blanketed the Tri-M Presidents Benjamin Freidrich and Pricilla Shin, who commenced the event with an introduction. As the hosts of the event, they acknowledged the courage it took for every performer to step in front of the spotlight and display themselves and their musical abilities.
For the 2024 Wheatley’s Got Talent performance, Arielle Kruger (9th) performed Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez. Johanna Ginu (8th) sang Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid. Kayla Xu (9th) played Un Sospiro on piano by Franz Liszt. For the Intermission, Tri-M presidents Ben and Priscilla planned a special duet. William Sellerberg (11th) sang (and danced) Heart of Glass by Blondie, and Pavithra Eswar (10th) sang Fingers Crossed by Lauren Spencer Smith. To end off the night, Wheatley’s rock-pop band JAN (working title) consisting of Nayiri Barton (12th), Jacob Ferraro (11th), and Arsal Ijaz (11th) performed Decode by Paramore.
Before Arielle Kruger’s performance, hosts Frederick and Shin asked her about her influences. Arielle acknowledged her dad’s music taste eventually shaped her distinct taste in music that seeped into her style of musical expression. When the purple florescent spotlights shone onto her holding her white electric guitar, Kruger lightly strummed along to Stephen Sanchez’s Until I Found You. Her voice was reminiscent of old record playback, with a warm aura that matched the song. As she progressed through the song, the emotion behind her voice built up to a climax where Kruger’s voice was filled with pure passion.
Chatter filled the audience when Johanna Ginu gracefully strolled across the stage in a flowing white dress and a light-up bow. Her inspiration came from singing acapella with her family to singing choir. Ginu chose Lovely By Billie Eilish and Khalid because of the message it conveys, and as she walked to center stage with an ethereal calmness her voice immediately captivated the audience showing off her vocal range. At the end of her performance, she sat down from the edge of the stage glistening from head to toe.
Kayla Xu’s performance was the only nonvocal performance for the night, she had been playing piano for years so she was eager to show off her talent with Un Sospiro By Franz Liszt. As Xu’s hands waltzed on the keyboard, her hands constantly shifted and exchanged positions. Melodic sounds drifted out from her piano, hypnotizing the audience, as well as trancing Xu herself. At the end of her set, the decrescendo leaves the audience with a passionate lingering goodbye.
For the intermission, Aaron Chang (12th) the Vice President of Tri-M took the podium as host to introduce Ben and Priscilla’s duet of All I Want by Olivia Rodrigo. Their duet transcended the audience by showing off their vocal capabilities through beautiful harmonization. As Ben joined Priscilla on stage, their mesmerizing voices meshed together while they shared glances at each other.
As a personal Blondie enthusiast, seeing William Sellerberg performing Heart of Glass by Blondie on the playbill was compelling. Sellerberg’s performances always reflect his upbeat personality and his love for singing. As he brought the energy to the audience by including them in the chorus, the audience reciprocated by pulling out their phone flashlights to show their love. His contagious energy radiated the room as everyone swayed along to his melodic voice and sang along to him.
A Wheatley talent show is never complete without Pavithra Eswar making a statement with her soft voice and bold outfits. Entrancing the crowd with her siren-like voice, Eswar wore a stunning silver dress with a leg slit illuminating the dark pink tinted auditorium with light. Eswar truly shimmered during her performance, capturing hearts with her vivacious spirit apparent in her rendition of Fingers Crossed by Lauren Spencer Smith.
The last performance of the night was the band JAN, the working title for the trio Jacob Ferraro (11th), Arsal Ijaz (11th), and Nayiri Barton (12th). Their choice to collaborate musically came from their friendship stemming from a shared sentiment for music. All three musicians are incredibly talented and have been perfecting their craft for years, they decided to settle on a rock-pop band to showcase their versatility. Though they encountered technical difficulty hiccups at the start of their set, Barton made light of the situation by cracking jokes and practicing her comedic crowd work. On stage, Ferraro sported an electric guitar, Ijaz was on drums, and Barton was on vocals, in their positions prepared to play Decode by Paramore. After the stage lights radiated red on the three performers, JAN’s rock theme shone immediately with a sea of crashing cymbals, and head bangs. The three Wheatley students used their time on stage to represent their individuality as well as talent in music, with Barton presenting her refined taste in fashion with a bold and colorful top. Their fiery enthusiasm rang through the auditorium with electric strumming, and drum rolls accompanied by symphonious vocals. To summarize their performance in one word, it was showstopping.
At the end of all performances, hosts Benjamin Frederich and Priscilla Shin re-introduced the contestants one last time before the audience voted for their favorite performance. With the votes all tallied up and contestants lined up, the winners for 2024 Wheatley’s Got Talent were JAN, Jacob Ferraro (11th), Arsal Ijaz (11th), and Nayiri Barton (12th)!!
After the results were announced, JAN graced us with a melancholic encore performance of Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, providing a softer demonstration of the trio’s musical capabilities.
