This year’s talent show has been postponed to April. With the new date not yet known, students who were looking forward to the show will have to wait a few more months before seeing the talents of their classmates.
During the spring talent show, students have the opportunity to become active within their school, while having fun performing anything from a comedy set to a musical showcase.
Students who had signed up for an audition were emailed Oct. 10, the morning of auditions, about the postponement of the show. Only nine out of the 20 available slots filled for auditions, compared to the 17 acts who signed up in 2023.
“It’s unfortunate but at the same time, it gives those who need more time to prepare, more time,” senior percussionist Dylan Craft said.
Craft was intending on performing a duet with senior Ryan Phillips, the bassist for the student band The Idle Mind. The band performed annually at the talent show, up until Henry English graduated last year. Craft was also going to be showcased with a drum solo inspired by the song ‘Leo,’ by John Coltrane.
The postponement also allows more time for the Tri-M honors music society to create different ways to publicize for the spring talent show. Taking on their annual poster making for the show may soon be met with other ideas brainstormed with choir director and department head, Dara Gillis, as well.
“I’d love for us to be able to find a new approach to recruit people to take the chance to audition,” Gillis said.
Pushing the talent show to spring allows for students to have more time to refine or change their act, along with putting less pressure on the students involved in this year’s play “Clue” and those in the marching band. Allowing for more time to be put towards their act over the next few months to work towards a celebratory end-of-the-year show.
“It is a little upsetting, but for me it’s also a little exciting,” senior Nasir Ferguson said. “I might change what I perform depending on what my path as an artist is by then.”
Ferguson was planning on performing a piano solo of Chopin Etude #24 in C Minor. However, like others who planned on performing in the show, he may push towards a more spring-like piece for the next talent show.
Last year’s show had around 200 people attend, with 13 acts performing. All proceeds from the talent show go towards three performing arts programs at Hayes: the choir, orchestra and thespians student activity accounts.
“I would rather wait until April if we can find a date, and try to get a lot more people to audition,” Gillis said. “I think Tri-M is going to take a little bigger role in hyping it up.”
