“You’re just too good to be true”- the first words the audience hears during the show-opener of the Variety Show. The Aviator Chorale sang a medley from Bob Gaudio’s Jersey Boys. Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical about four men from New Jersey who sang and harmonized their way onto the stage.

The Selected Ensemble also performs in the medley from Jersey Boys. “I thought that the whole performance was well-rehearsed. Everyone did so well, even though they didn’t have much time to prepare,” freshman Leslie Brown said.

The Select Ensemble group wears costumes of the 1950s, including poodle skirts for the girls. Their performance also had harder choreography than the other choirs in the act. This helped recreate scenes from the musical.

Junior Michelle Swart dances in a lyrical piece to the song “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. Lyrical dance, Swart said, involves an extensive amount of emotional depiction. “I was so happy when I learned I had the opportunity to do a lyrical dance. It’s something new, because people normally peg me as only a tap dancer. I was really happy with my performance,” Swart said.

Junior Michelle Swart extends into an arabesque. The dance was choreographed as a competitive solo by Jennifer Goodlett at the Studio for Dance. The Variety Show was Swart’s first time performing the piece, a prequel to her upcoming competition season.

Senior Nicholas Franckowski acts as emcee for the Variety Show, along with math teacher Mr. Gregory Ulland. Emcees provided the “comedic relief” in between acts, giving time for the performers to set up while keeping the audience entertained. It was Franckowski’s first time performing as emcee.

The Flyerettes have their first performance of the season. “I think we did pretty well, considering it was our first time dancing as a Flyerette for most of us,” sophomore Abigail Bird said. They have been practicing since June of 2014.

The Flyerette’s dance routine consisted of jazz, hip hop, and pom routine. “Hip hop is my favorite style of dance because it is upbeat and we get to dance to popular songs,” sophomore Abigail Bird said. The team was the first performance in the second act.

Sophomores Akshara Kapoor and Rujula Kapoor and junior Asha Sethuraman present a semi-classical Indian dance. This consisted of various spins, clapping, and other moves. The trio had practiced for weeks before the performance.

“This was a really fun experience. All three of us enjoyed showing everyone what we could do. It was a way to bring a little bit of India to SHS,” sophomore Akshara Kapoor said.

Sophomores Elsa Benson and John Kays perform “The Gambler” by Fun, Benson on the piano and Kays on the guitar. “We knew we wanted to perform together, and when we heard the song, we were immediately sold. It’s so much better being able to perform with someone you are comfortable with,” Benson said.

Senior Nicholas Franckowski and math teacher Mr. Gregory Ulland converse onstage as emcees. The duo told jokes as well as told interesting facts to the audience. “Ulland was pretty laid back during the rehearsal and performance, and we developed good stage chemistry, so I wasn’t really nervous,” Franckowski said.

Tossing his shoe for good measure, junior Max Poff performs the ball juggling portion of his act. The most he’s juggled, he said, are eight balls, seven rings, and six clubs, though he juggled in the show with one less in each category. “You never want to perform something that you are not already consistent with,” Poff said.

Junior Max Poff juggles pins during his act. He has been juggling for three years, performing locally in many school functions. “I usually get nervous before I go on stage, but once I’m on stage and start performing, I’m fine,” Poff said.

The Drum Line plays the main set from Drumline. This set is often played at football games and other school events. “I felt proud to be part of the Drum Line. It was thrilling to be on stage with them,” freshman William Park said.

The bottom three basses hold the beat for the rest of the instruments. From left to right, junior Alexis Greenleaf plays on bass five, freshmen Nick Walker on four, and freshmen Adrian Oliver on three. “It was definitely an experience,” Walker said.

The band Before All Ends plays the song “Your Guardian Angel” by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Senior John Fry sang lead with senior Megan Sulfsted on backup vocals and guitar. Senior Brandon Lombardi played on bass guitar and senior Tamas Bonyhati was on drum set. All photos courtesy of McDaniel’s Photography