To kick off the start to the 2025 Showdown Week, Tri-M held their annual Wheatley’s Got Talent event on Monday March 10th. At 7 PM, parents and teachers quickly rushed in to fill the auditorium seats, followed by Wheatley students who were eyeing Showdown points for attendance and support for their peers. This year, Wheatley’s Got Talent featured representation from all grades, with some contestants performing individually, or in bands.
As the lights dimmed over the decorative balloons and streamers, the audience directed their attention to the stage, where Ella Zhong and Lauren Shin, Tri-M Co-Presidents and hosts, gave an enthusiastic welcome to the attendees. They introduced the highly qualified judging panel, which featured Mrs. Topping, Mr. Portente, and Mrs. Ambrose, who all share a profound connection to music. Shortly after the contestants were introduced to the audience, the performances began.
Sophomore Madalyn Duffy danced around the stage in her light pink dress as she opened up the night with a cover of the iconic song Popular by Ariana Grande. Duffy started by taking a moment to reflect on her passion for musical theater and for listening to jazz and pop music, explaining how this performance was inspired by the musical Wicked. Following her cover, the judging panel left some positive remarks about her talents and poked some fun at Mr. Portente.
The first band performing for the night was then introduced. William Sellerberg, Arielle Kruger, and Marwa Ayaz began by explaining the origin of their band name, <4. The group shared that they are missing a drummer and that there are only three band members, hence the name ‘<4’ (Less Than 4). Although still seeking a drummer for their band, the show must go on. Sellerberg, known for his great vocal talent, was the lead vocalist. Kruger provided some vocals and played on the guitar, while Ayaz was on bass. Sellerberg delivered his final Wheatley’s Got Talent performance with this talented group, singing his heart out to Better Than Me by The Brobecks. As the judges admitted, this beautiful cover is sure to attract a drummer to this band.
As the audience eagerly waited for the next performance, Johanna Ginu took the stage in a long, sparkly royal blue dress. Catching the attention of the entire crowd, even Mrs. Ambrose later commented that this was the perfect color for her. After sharing about her childhood experiences singing and listening to music with her parents, she began her cover of Save Your Tears by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande. Shortly after starting this performance, the background music came to a stop and was interrupted by a Reese’s ad. Quick to salvage Ginu’s performance, the A/V Committee cut out the audio and the audience immediately began to clap their hands to create the beat of the song. Despite this being a performer’s worst nightmare, Johanna continued to sing her heart without any hesitation. This acapella version of the song unexpectedly turned out to be an even greater hit among the crowd. Upon completing this unique rendition, Mrs. Topping and the other judges commended Johanna for an outstanding job amidst this technical difficulty, which truly helped to show her vocal talents.
Next up was the highly anticipated band, Tumbleweed. Although neck in neck against each other in Showdown, these seven band members consisted of both Juniors and Seniors. The Juniors included Maiya Vohra and Krish Patel, and the Seniors were Ava Varghese, Emma Santarelli, Azelle Kim, Jacob Ferraro, and Arsal Ijaz. Despite being composed of a large number of members who all come from different musical backgrounds, vocalists Emma, Maiya, and Ava explained how the band coordinated this performance. Through blending their separate passions, they were able to complement each other’s styles. The group wore various country themed outfits, including cowboy boots, flannel shirts, leather jackets, bandanas, and cowboy hats. Tumbleweed performed The Chain, by Fleetwood Mac, with Patel on Drums, Kim on bass, Ferraro rocking the guitar, and Ijaz on the keys. Santarelli, Vohra, and Varghese’s harmonies demonstrated the powerful dynamic of this band. In spirit of the competitive Showdown nature, the Juniors and Seniors in attendance gave a loud round of applause to their peers.
Next up was the final contestant for the night, 8th grader Abigail Ilizarov. Despite being her first Wheatley’s Got Talent performance, Abigail was not intimidated by the upperclassmen. She passionately shared her interests in musical theatre, and then performed I Surrender by Celine Dion under a floral arch. The young 8th grader impressed the crowd with her outstanding vocal range, as she received a standing ovation at the end of her performance.
Following these five performances, the audience was given five minutes to cast their votes for who they wanted as the winner. During this intermission period, they also enjoyed watching a short video that featured Wheatley staff and faculty singing Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. After the votes were tallied, Tri-M announced the winners of Wheatley’s Got Talent 2025… Tumbleweed! The band then closed the night with an encore performance of Iris by Goo Goo Dolls.
