The Lafayette 2022 Talent Show: A Recap

On the rainy evening of March 17, students, parents, and teachers alike flocked to the school to witness the spectacle they’d all been waiting for: the long-anticipated Lafayette Talent Show. As they filed into the auditorium, they were happily welcomed by members of the Lafayette NHS, who had been meticulously planning the event for weeks, and whispered amongst themselves while checking their programs. What kind of acts would they be witnessing on this fateful night? What talent would spring from the unassuming halls of their high school? And most importantly, who would be the one to take home the title of the winner? A hush fell over the crowd as the lights dimmed and the emcees stepped to the microphone and began to speak…

Auditions for the talent show were held in the first week of March after school, and as word of the show spread around the school, the hype for the various acts quickly grew. Rumors swirled about just who was performing and about which acts everyone was most excited to see. Later, a short rehearsal was held after school to sort out the technical aspects of the show, such as the order of the acts, required props and staging, and sound and lighting design. The production was sponsored by the Lafayette branch of the National Honor Society, which was hosting the event as a food drive for FISH: Entrance to the show was free for all with the donation of at least one non-perishable food item.

Finally the day arrived, and on March 17 the talent show contestants arrived one by one at school, anxiously awaiting their moment to shine.

The show opened with a dazzling performance by Gabriel Smith, who delivered a unique dance routine with glowing clothes and shoes. As the show went on, a captivating variety of events began to emerge. The vast majority of the acts were musical: from explosive dance numbers to soulful ballads, it was clear that Lafayette students and staff alike truly had music in their veins.

Grace Oldenberg wowed the audience with gorgeous vocals on “Bleeding Love,” Nicholas Garcia and Brianna Swink brought their combined energy to a performance of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the hit movie Encanto, and Allie Metzger performed an emotional rendition of “Speechless” from Aladdin to a rapturous crowd.

Some acts accompanied themselves, such as Chris Smith and Victoria Parks in their incredible duet of “Feeling Good,” with Chris on the piano and Chris and Victoria Parks on vocals.  Some played instruments solo, such as teacher’s assistant Nick Mason on his violin with a beautiful arrangement of “In The Company of Angels Medley.” Even more performed original material, such as Isaac Jobent with an original rap song that left the crowd going wild, and Heather Armstrong with her original song “Music Box,” which she sang and played on her guitar.

Perhaps the most unique act was a dynamic seventeen-second video edit by Mallory Brown, and Sakari Morgan performed an incredible dance routine.

Even the teachers delivered incredible performances: Ms. Williams and Ms. Nuckols blew the crowd away with “Open My Heart” and “Million Reasons” respectively, and Mr. Ekstrom and Mr. Alston rounded out the evening with a show-stopping and, at times, hilarious dueling pianos act that ended with an audience singalong of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

The show was closed out by a spectacle nobody saw coming: A full death metal band. Doomhaur brought the house down with a set of four songs, made even more stunning by colorful lighting and the use of a smoke machine. 

At last, it was time to vote. Audience members were given programs with a QR code that sent them to a Google form where they could vote on who they felt should win. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of programs, not everybody got one, and the audience immediately began to mill about the auditorium as people tried to find one they could use for their favorite act. After a few minutes, the organizers declared that they had their winners: In third place, Isaac Jobent with his original rap; in second, Sakari Morgan’s amazing dance number; and first, the show-stopping Doomhaur. As the winners celebrated their victory, and the other acts stepped from the stage to greet the crowd, the audience walked away with a truly unforgettable experience.