On March 18, Whitman’s most talented brought their A-game to compete for the crowning achievement that all talented Whitman students vie for: the title of winner of Whitman’s Got Talent. The competition was fierce, but it was subdued by the fun the performers and audience were having. However, the prestige and bragging rights—not to mention the $100 prize—were not the only things on the contestants’ minds. In fact, with all the banter between the judges, surprise performers and breathtaking talent, winning was probably the last thing on any one’s mind.

The first to perform was Olivia Banting. The pressure of being first, let alone having to perform on stage alone in front of her peers, didn’t shake Olivia at all. She had great stage presence and handled everything like a true star, and her singing of “If I Ain’t Got You” didn’t falter once. Next to take the stage was freshman Peter Cerrito. Whereas Olivia’s performance made us all want to sing along, Peter’s playing of “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix made us all want to get up and dance like we were at a rock concert. Peter hit every note exactly right and played more passionately than anyone I’ve ever seen, even playing with his teeth at one point. We only saw two acts at this point, and were already fascinated by all the different forms of talent that Whitman students have.

Next to the stage was a double threat in that she both sang and played the guitar at the same time! Eve Metzger played and sang “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones. At this point, we had only seen singers and guitarists, but the fourth act was one of the most unusual, and energetic, performances of the night. Marissa LoCastro, Baylee Albitz, Natalie Dunn, Cheryl Rodriguez,  Jordan Aiken and Julian Kleberg danced, lip synced, did gymnastics and pretty much everything else crazy to “Blue Jeans.” This pop performance perfectly captured the social trends of our generation and showed that we’re way more than phone-aholics. The excitement carried on to the next act, performed by Adrienne Contave, who sang her own take on “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele. Her twist on the hit song and amazing vocals definitely gave Adele a run for her money.

Following Adrienne’s performance, the program switched up a bit and Whitman’s Latino Dance Team took the stage early. The team performed with their usual vigor and expert dancing, giving us all a chance to see the senior dancers give one last performance. And they did not disappoint.

The last act before intermission was the duo of Anthony Morace and Kyle Bernstein. The two were a perfect mix of chords and vocals, performing “Plush” by the Stone Temple Pilots together.

The show was now halfway over. Not only were we entertained by the fabulous acts, but by also the hilarious judges. Mrs. Latko, Mr. Miranda, and Mr. Yolango offered expert advice and praise to all of the performers. However, it was not all business with Yolango and Miranda, and the two bickered all night long like an old married couple, and only the levelheaded Mrs. Latko could keep them from arguing long enough for the acts to perform.

With intermission over, we were ready for perhaps the most anticipated collaboration of the night: Marina Kopf, Chelsea Saccente and the one and only Mr. Varlamos. Despite running into some technical issues, the three played guitar and sang “FourFiveSeconds” just like Rihanna, Kanye, and Paul. Not only we were treated to a great performance, but we also learned who Whitman’s most talented administrator is. The funniest act was up next: comedian Tannina Oakacine. Tannina delivered a laugh out loud skit on social media, and the act even featured a cameo with the Mrs. Acker cardboard cut out. If laughter is the best medicine, definitely pay Tannina a visit if you’re feeling under the weather.

Melanie Olinsky came to the stage next with a lyrical dance performance, while many were curious about what exactly lyrical dance is. Well, we were all in for a pleasant surprise as Melanie mixed contemporary dance with contortionism. Whoever choreographed her performance deserves an award, and Melanie’s ability to pull it off definitely made her a front runner in the competition. After Melanie, Leslie Portillo and Victoria Rosa combined their skills of dance and singing to treat the audience to both an auditory and visual masterpiece. Alexander Siegel was up next, bringing both his great voice and guitar to give it all he’s got, and what he’s got is most certainly a talent to be envied. Every one’s favorite step team, TSOP, took the stage next to deliver a performance that no one wanted to end, and made “STOMP” seem like child’s play. The performance was up to its usual standards and we got to say goodbye to two of the Step Team’s seniors.

At around this point, Mr. Schmidt challenged Mrs. Latko to a lip singing battle, and the coworker rivalry and bets began to surface. My money was on Mrs. Latko, as she was perfectly on time with every lyric, ran around the PAC and hyped up the crowd just in time for the last act and the big reveal. However, in the end, the challenger came away victorious and Judge Latko sat back down in her seat, defeated, just in time for the last act. Whitman girls Marin Kopf and Chelsea Saccente blended several of Queen Bey’s most recognizable hits to sing a Beyonce medley. The song sections and placements were exactly right and the performance was the perfect cap to the show.

With all the performances over and votes tallied, the curtain rose and all of the performers were lined up, anxious to hear the results. Luckily for them, and everyone else, there was no painfully long build up and the winner was announced right away: Melanie Olinsky.

This year’s Whitman’s Got Talent provided everything from singers to dancers and guitarists to comedians, setting  a high bar for next year’s show. A special thanks to the amazing judges, performers, faculty and senior class who made this all possible.