OP Talent Show 2017

On October 13th, Oratory Prep hosted its annual talent show as a special way to conclude the Spirit Week.  Although students weren’t able to take a period out from their day and miss a class like previous years, everyone was still treated to a great show, with many musical and talented acts.  Before kicking off the competition, Alumni Nick Brown made a special appearance to commemorate his famed farce two years ago in the previous talent show.  Following the camaraderie, a variety of students and teachers entered the fray to show off what they prepared.  Various acts impressed the Oratory judges, such as Nicholas Villa’s rhythmic yo-yo act, Peter Ainsworth’s handmade card-throwing robot, and even Luciano Betman’s fiasco attempt at pulling off the notorious tablecloth magic trick.  OP teachers —Mrs. Clark, Ms. Halter, Mr. Crum and Mr. Van Hoven— stepped up to the plate to perform impressive musical and vocal renditions of songs such as: “Martha my Dear” on the piano, “Somewhere Over a Rainbow” on the ukulele, “Mister Misunderstood” on the acoustic guitar and “New York State of Mind” on piano, respectively.  However, three acts topped the rest, earning the best contestants a place in first, second, or third, and prizes consisting of 100, 50, and 25 dollars.  Conall Gorman’s act on the guitar earned the top prize for the show.  Giovanni Martinetti, Chris Ocker, and Nick Short came in a close second with their acapella performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and they were followed by Mr. Van Hoven’s euphonious rendition of “New York State of Mind” on the piano.