If you were lucky enough to see it, the annual GT Showcase held on Jan. 20 presented the artistic talents of many students. From Icelandic music to break dancing, there were performances that everyone could appreciate. 

To open the show, Nick Stella and his choir group, Knight Fever, performed the song “Gone Gone Gone” by Philip Phillips. He went on to introduce each talent, inserting clever remarks along the way. 

The first act was sister duet Diana and Linda Nichvoloda performing an incredible rendition of “Sleigh Ride Duet Fantasy ” on the piano. Among the other performers were Adam Simkins, Max and Dylan Wolf performing a song by Daoi Freyr, Mia Testa singing “Crazy” by Gnarles Barkley, and Synthia Mani singing “Love on the Brain.” Naveena Godfrey performed a jazz staple, and Michael Cicero sang “Sweater Weather.” The acts were not just limited to music, though. Vennela Kunchala danced to the songs “Go Down Deh” and “Bad Guy”; Emilia Szczepaniak recited a poem by Nick Flynn; Diana Luba performed a comedic monologue; Dilyer Andrey Veloza Velasquez break-danced; and Ava Moreno did a hip-hop routine to a medley of Kendrick Lamar songs.

However, the production of this showcase would not have been possible if it were not for Ms. Bauer, the GT coordinator. Since 2011, she has been in charge of organizing this event, and she says that every year has its own obstacles. “It is always challenging because musical rehearsals are starting up, and we have to use the auditorium the least amount of time possible. We have one audition, one rehearsal, and then the show,” she said.

Ms. Bauer humbly shared, “We rely on the leadership of the students behind the scenes to make things happen. I can only claim a small amount of responsibility for the success of the show- it is student-run.”

On an exciting note, this year, the GT Showcase brought in the largest student crowd in a long time. “One of the highlights has to be the full audience because we haven’t had that in a while,” stated Ms. Bauer. “We had a show in January 2020 before we closed school, 2021 was virtual, and the crowd was small in 2022.”

Overall, the GT showcase was a unifying representation of the performing arts students at Morris Hills. It was a great opportunity for students to show their talents off, all while promoting the arts in schools.