MPCHS displayed student talents at Variety Show

MT. PLEASANT — Those in the Mt. Pleasant area Sunday, Jan. 15 found entertainment at the Mt. Pleasant High School Annual Variety Show featuring individual talents, group acts, the middle school jazz ensemble, Chain Reaction Show Choir, high school jazz band, and InMotion Show Choir.

“Good afternoon everybody, and welcome to the Variety Show 2023, our first performance of the New Year,” Seventh and Eighth Grade Band Director Adam Creager welcomed attendees to the first of two showings.

A different middle school jazz band opened each showing.

According to Creager, the middle school jazz band spent Saturday morning with clinicians to work with the middle and high school groups.

“It’s always a great experience because I learn something and I hope the kids walk away feeling a little better about what we’re doing,” Creager said. “That’s the point of those clinics. It’s really just to make ourselves feel confident about what we’re doing and keep improving.”

“We hope you’ll hear a difference from what we played back in December and what we play now,” he added before the jazz band opened the 2 p.m. show.

“We’re going to kick things off here for the Variety Show 2023 with our middle school jazz band,” Sixth Grade Instrumental Music Director Laura Westfall welcomed the audience to the 4 p.m. showing.

With Big Band music energy, the middle school jazz bands adequately warmed-up the crowd for both showings.

High School Band Director Jim DePriest continued the jazz theme as he introduced the High School jazz band’s first song, “Easy Money.”

Jordan Crooks, Kasey Edwards, and Jamie Roush emceed the remainder of the variety show.

They introduced talented joke-tellers, actors, singers, and instrumentalists.

Actors appeared to have a blast as they performed multiple comedic skits.

In one skit, Robbie Heaton drew laughter from the audience as he played the teacher in “The Science Room,” with difficult students Natalie McCormick and Bryton Weir.

The audience laughed hysterically as nine students performed another darkly funny skit, about a party game taken far too seriously.

Vocalist performed as solos, duets, and ensembles.

Victoria Smith and Abby Perry embodied Encanto characters Mirabel and Isabela as they performed a compelling duet of “The Other Side.”

One student performed a vocal and instrumental solo of “Time of Your Life.”

Creager helped end both shows with recaps and information before the show choirs closed-out the afternoon.

He invited the audience to volunteer for the show choir invitational Feb. 4.

“I hear if you volunteer for two shifts, your get in free,” he said.

“We started off with some great jazz music, then we had a weird science fair project, an amazing drum solo, an amazing guitar solo, a lot of great singers,” Creager said. “There was some strange cheerleader thing for a chess club.”

“And oh,” he said, “We were all accessory and witnesses to a murder, so, I’m afraid none of you are going to be able to leave until we get that solved.”

As the laughter died down, the show choirs took the stage and showed off their hard work.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com