Talent Show 2014. It’s going to be epic.

Whitman’s largest student run production of the year will take place March 27-29, and is sure to impress audiences of all ages. Here’s a sneak peak of a few acts so you can get excited for some of the most high energy performances of the year:

Aphrodisiac

An old hat at talent shows puts a new twist on “Why Don’t You Love Me” by Beyoncé. Junior Erin Craig performs lead vocals in the act, which also features seniors Nicole Ramirez and Jake Zeisel on guitar, Sam Shapiro on electric bass and junior Mikal Nathani on drums. The group is doing a cover of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals’ rendition of the song.

“They have an acoustic cover and a regular cover of the song. We took elements of both that we liked and put them in one song,” Craig said. Aphrodisiac hopes to get the audience dancing in their seats with their rendition.

“Everybody loves a little bit of Beyoncè,” Craig said.

Orpheus

A group entirely composed of newcomers to the show, sophomores Nikki Ladd, Ivori Liu, Brian Slawta, Gloria Kim and Claire Ryan, and freshmen Manya Aronin, Sebi Sola-Sole and Alistair Coleman will perform the popular “Say Something” by A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera with a special emphasis on the string section.

“Most acts have something along the lines of a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, drummer and a piano,” Ladd said. “We have a string section which gives us a completely different sound.”

It seems daunting to be the underclassmen in an upperclassmen dominated production, but the group is excited.

“The upperclassmen in charge of the show are amazingly talented and have given us the best advice during our in-home,” Ladd said. In-home rehearsals take place early in the production process, wherein the directors of Talent Show help instruct the acts on their performances to bring out the best in each group.

Hades’ Ladies

Performing “Bedroom Hymns” by Florence and the Machine, this huge all-female group features juniors Catherine Trant on lead vocals, backup vocalists Katie Sullivan, Erin Craig and Lila Hobby, Sophia Glazer on bass, Hannah Chenok on piano, Talia Brenner on the keyboard, Julia Pearl Schwartz on violin, Rachel Ordan and Kate Frye on drums and freshman April Reisenfeld on electric guitar. The two drummers play two different beats, adding a unique sound to the song.

“We picked up the pace for our version,” Trant said. “Florence has this stigma of being very slow and rich but we quickened the tempo.”

Hades’ Ladies features plenty of fresh, first time talent show performers who are thrilled to be a part of the show.

“Everyone who I had talked to who was it in before said it was one of the best moments of their lives,” Hobby said.

Daedalus’s Daughter

According to members of this group, what sets them apart is their constant passionate intensity both instrumentally and vocally. Performing “Wings” by Birdy, juniors Jordan Ambromowitz, Hannah Chenok, Mia Carmel, Catherine Trant and Lucas Weals, and seniors Jake Zeisel and Will Guerry have made the original song their own by mixing up the harmonies and the final chorus to provide an exciting rendition of the song. The biggest challenge was just figuring out who would be in the act, Abromowitz said.

“Most people are in more than one act and we don’t want the talent show to be the same people over and over again,” Abromowitz said. “I’m really looking forward to the variety and talent all of the acts will bring.”

Japoco

Japoco or the Jazzy Poetry Coalition features senior Wes Slaughter rapping, Katherine Patterson and junior Erin Craig on backup vocals, Jake Zeisel on the keyboard organ, Stephen Davis on the trumpet, Conrad Mascarenhas on the piano and junior Colin Mitchell on drums. Japoco will perform the R&B song “Faithful” by Common, as a soulful and invigorating jazz piece. The group has taken some liberties like starting the song with Davis improvising on the piano. This will be Slaughter’s first time rapping for an audience—a change from his usual, spontaneous cross-country free style rap sessions. While Slaughter plays guitar as well, he considers rapping easier.  Other instruments require learning scales but like singing, all elements that you need for rapping are already there, Slaughter said.

Voodoo Dolls

Straying away from the norm, the Voodoo Dolls are performing the 60’s song “House of the Rising Sun” about the creepy parts of New Orleans. The group is covering a remake by Laruen O’Connell. Lead singer Lex Payne chose the song because of its originality.

“It is very very different and creepy, and a little unsettling, which isn’t like most songs you would hear in the Talent Show or on the radio.”

Payne, a fan of the unconventional, hopes that the song will give the audience shivers.