Electric guitar riffs tremble through the auditorium as vibrant flickering lights illuminate a vandalized set and fog rolls onto the stage. Students, parents and community members wait in their seats, eagerly anticipating the 2024 Whitman Talent Show.
Running on April 18, 19 and 20, Whitman Drama’s “Talent Show 2k24: Permanent Record” showcased students’ musical and acting abilities. The production incorporated 20 acts of songs and skits, each embodying the show’s main theme of “permanent record.”
Students performed anthemic musical pieces from a variety of eras including “Mr. Brightside,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Just Like Heaven.” Musical advisor Rory Marlin, a senior performer in the show, explained that talent show leadership purposefully emphasized timeless music in the setlist to match the “permanent” aspect of the show’s theme and appeal to as much of the audience as possible.
“There’s a good number of acts that tend to be favorites for a wide variety of people,” Marlin said. “They’re the kind of songs that have a special place in everyone’s hearts.”
The grungy set featuring graffiti, chains, caution tape, litter and stolen road signs across the stage enhanced thematic elements to portray a chaotic teenage spirit.
The permanent record motif aligned with Whitman Drama’s yearlong theme—the “season of scandal”—which included the fall play, “A Flea in Her Ear” and the winter musical, “Cabaret”.
To further develop the theme, directors interspersed scenes of a student-written comedic skit between musical acts. Each scene furthered the story of a group of rebellious students and included Whitman-centered inside jokes to engage the crowd.
“The skits follow students who are all in detention and trying to figure out how to progress their lives,” said Whitman Drama Director Tyler Herman. “It’s cool to see the Whitman Drama theme come full circle.”
Student input in skit creation allowed for more creativity and relatability to the high school audience. References to particular staff and real events at Whitman got the crowd laughing. According to Senior Producer Charlotte Bonneau, comical aspects of the show have improved throughout the years.
“Talent show acting has a bad rep for having lame jokes,” Bonneau said, “but this year they’re absolutely hilarious.”
180 students worked on the Talent Show, making it the largest 2023-2024 Whitman Drama production cast. Preparation began when Herman and his technical supervisor Alexander Evans appointed leadership positions in September and October. The production staff then worked for months to plan the set, lights, costumes and sounds, creating a framework for the show.
Forty musical numbers auditioned in January and many of the selected performers were previously involved in Whitman Drama; however, a large portion were new to the community.
Senior Director Samantha Sanders indicated that the participation of other groups such as Poms and Drumline in the Talent Show made for a unique production.
“We have all different kinds of auditions,” Sanders said. “That’s why Talent Show is so exciting because it pulls in people from all over the school who aren’t usually part of Whitman Drama.”
After auditioning, performers participated in at-home rehearsals until tech week, when on-stage rehearsals began. The week leading up to the show was production week, during which there were daily five-hour run-throughs of the entire show.
Bonneau stated despite the lengthy rehearsal times, students remained upbeat and committed to the production’s success.
“Everyone gives 110%, that’s what I love about Whitman Drama,” Bonneau said. “Every single person wants it to be incredible”
Bonneau explained how Whitman Drama prioritized communication this year to ensure that students’ creative ideas are considered when determining aspects of the show. The immense number of students working on a single production necessitated a new level of collaboration, said Marlin.
“It’s definitely a lot of time spent with each other, which is kind of why I think this show ends up being so special,” Marlin said.
Production staff worked together to organize the setlist and discuss the technical components of the show. Performers subsequently worked with the sound and light tech crews to ensure their monitors and lights were operating correctly. The scenic crew selected measurements, constructed tall platforms, and painted all aspects of the set, said Scenic Designer Caroline Melmed.
Since the show was almost entirely student-run, leadership was able to cater the production to a high school audience. The students’ ability to select popular songs allowed for a more enjoyable audience experience, Melmed said.
In conjunction with different themes, sets and performers, each year’s new student director has significant responsibilities for the show. This year’s director, senior Samantha Sanders, has been an active member of Whitman Drama since her freshman year.
“She has been in the program for a long time, and she understands how to work well with all of the teams and all the people,” Bonneau said. “She’s done a really good job of including everybody and getting everything set up so early on in the process.”
The passion of the cast, crew and student leadership yielded high audience turnouts on all three nights. Bonneau stated that the show had an average of 530 audience members each night, the highest average since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Bonneau, the success of this year’s show demonstrates to the new post-COVID generation how the talent show is changing for the future. The combination of classic rock with modern components like new songs contributed to the performance’s liveliness, Herman said.
“There’s a couple of numbers that are not only bangers but they’re also done so well,” Herman said. “You got hits from a bunch of different eras all kicking ass together.”
