Senior David Raichman was crowned Mr. Bellaire on April 19. Around 400 people attended the $10 ticketed event.

Mr. Bellaire is an annual senior talent show hosted by the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) to fundraise for the Class of 2026 After Prom. Bellaire alumni judged contestants, who were escorted by a senior of their choice. Contestants chosen as finalists publicly answered questions in front of the audience before the judges made their final decision.

The show was split into five different acts: iconic couples, beachwear, a group dance, talents and formal wear. In between acts, the Belles Cadets, Bollywood Club and eMotion Hip-Hop performed. Raichman’s talent was upside-down finger painting.

“I wanted to think out of the box and do something funny,” Raichman said. “Obviously, most guys do dancing. I wanted to think out of the box. Honestly, I didn’t really practice. I practiced twice the morning of, and then I was like, ‘Alright.’”

PTO Co-President and Class of 2026 Co-Chair Tiffany Morrissette advertised in the Cardinal E-News and PTO Board Meeting to gather contestants for the show. According to Morrissette, the PTO hosted Mr. Bellaire in February last year–this year, they chose to host the event in April for more time to plan.

“I looked at the calendar, and there was one weekend we could do Mr. Bellaire, and one weekend we could do the Soiree,” Morrissette said. “There were literally two weekends clear for the whole second half of the year.”

According to Raichman, he typically refrains from performing in front of large crowds, besides swim meets. Raichman said Mr. Bellaire felt different because he wasn’t “only looking at the bottom of a pool.”

“I was really nervous, but I think you have to come up with a good mentality,” Raichman said. “I’m a senior, and to be honest, I’m probably never going to see 99% of y’all again. So I don’t want to have a negative image about myself, but if I do something embarrassing, it’s not that big of a deal to me anymore.”

According to Morrissette, the PTO wanted Mr. Bellaire to be entirely student-led–for example, the group dance in Act III was choreographed by seniors Audrey Cheng and Devin Morris. Morrissette’s favorite part of the event was sitting in the audience and watching the show.

“We purposely let the senior moms sit in the audience to watch our kids,” Morrissette said. “The kids are all so talented, and they have a good sense of humor. It’s great to see how they light up the stage. As a PTO person, I have to say, it is the most fun event of the year.”

The next senior class event is prom on May 16. To stay updated on Bellaire events, follow @bellairehigh on Instagram.