The Catskill Chronicle

Xhesika Lushaj performed a colorful traditional Albanian dance.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

Taris Kevii gets a leg up on his piano career.

LAKE HUNTINGTON – The National Honor Society of Sullivan West Central School hosted their 6th annual talent show on Tuesday night, November 10, in the high school auditorium.

Emcees Hannah Rettoun, Brendan Creegan, Jackie Ellmauer and Kate Bunch kept the acts moving across the stage, and in between the performances, entertained the audience with some sprightly banter and a few jokes. The popular “pack ‘em in the seats event” was produced by Nick Cucci and Cindy Szeflinski.

The talent show opened with Cucci’s piano solo of Fredrick Chopin’s “Minute Waltz,” and the first half continued with Rettoun and Creegan teaming up on  “Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Dean Martin.

Cindy Szaflinsky, one of the behind-the-scenes tech crew does a sound check.

Continuing in the first half: Margaret Bruetsch playing the piano and singing Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song,” then switching to guitar singing “For What Its Worth” by Buffalo Springfield; Xhesika Lushaj performing a traditional Albanian dance; a flute solo by Brian Calvert, of Anderson’s “Scherzino;” the band Echo (Bonnie Wiest, Justin Maggio, Joey Fredenburg, Dan Turner) performing “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana and Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life;” Taris Kevil sang “Wonderful” by Lady GaGa; Catherine Peters sang “Better When You’re Not Mine,” an original composition; Shawn Bailey sang “Sea of Faces” by Kutless; and November Fallen (Chris Murphy, Anthony Nicoletti, Nick Scott, Russell Bryan) sang the original “Bears Are Wolves But Bigger.”

Jeff Yeung, lead guitarist with Paint the City.

Right before intermission, several Sullivan West faculty appeared on stage for a wonderfully wacky skit titled “Night Crew”, that answered once and for all the question, “What do the night-time custodians really do after all the students and teachers leave for the day?”

It’s amazing what lurks in the artistic heart of faculty members when they have a chance to rock with a few drumsticks, garage can lids and empty metal cans.

Just in case you want to send a few kudos or tomatoes their way, the members of the Night Crew were Trish Ellmauer, Mike Ellmauer, Sue Andrews, Marlene Kinch, Margaret Tenbus, Catherine Lunn, Lynda Bracken, Nora Botta, Anthony Durkin, Amy Hellerer, Cheryl Graham, and Kim Eschenberg.

Catherine Peters, lead vocalist with Split Ends.

The second half curtain unveiled Paint the City featuring Max Carmack, Jeff Yeung, Christian Calvo, Louie Brahm, Allie Ellmauer, Hannah Rettoun) singing their originals “Nostalgic For You” and “Ballad 92”, along with “Sweet Child O’Mine” by Guns and Roses, and “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon.

Next up was Allie and Jackie Ellmauer teaming up to sing Taylor Swift’s “Crazier;” Jackie Parsons singing “My Heart” by Paramore; a guitar solo of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Angelo Bibbo.

The final act of the evening was blow the doors off performance by the Splint Ends featuring Kendra Baker, Catherine Peters, Danielle Strassman and Anna Dexheimer, as the band vocalized “Audience of One” by Rise Against and Paramore’s “When It Rains.”

Bonnie West, lead vocalist with Echo.

Pat Hawker, high school nurse and National Honor Society adviser, said of the 2009 talent show, “It had the most acts, the best talent, and the most attendance.”

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Talent Lurks in the Artistic Heart of Sullivan West visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.