Red Bird Productions (RBP) hosted Bellaire’s Got Talent, an annual talent show featuring 18 student acts in the auditorium on May 15. Tickets were $5 for each person, with around 100 people in attendance.
Bellaire’s Got Talent is typically held after AP exam season, which runs through early to mid-May. The show was run by RBP’s nine-officer team, and historian Davis Adams and treasurer Charleigh DeArman served as emcees. Auditions were held a month before the actual show.
“After auditions we decide who’s going to be in the show, based on availability and based on how much time we have,” RBP Secretary, varsity member and junior Kalyani Gifford said. “Then we go out and send more information to the performers, like ‘Please have your acts ready the day before the talent show.’ We host dress rehearsals, and ensure that all the lights and everything are ready. On the day of the talent show, we have officers running various technical positions.”
The show was divided into two acts, with six performances in the first act and 10 in the second, separated by a brief 10-minute intermission. The first performance of the night was by the band Tiger and the Lillies, which performed “I’m Not Okay” by My Chemical Romance. The last was a tribute to Michael Jackson by Twirling Club.
According to Gifford, the goal of the show was to share the culture and talents students have so that people understand Bellaire is “really diverse.”
“We have a few singers, some duets and people who sing individually,” Gifford said. “There are quite a few people who sing while playing the guitar, both electric and acoustic. There’s also piano and violin acts, as well. Then we have more active performances like Diabolo and Twirling Club.”
Audience members voted for placements through a QR code. A performance of a song by The Beatles by seniors Daniel Percy, Brody Carrizal, Moises Lobo and Diego Acevedo placed first. Senior Claire Lee placed second, as she performed “Writing’s on the Wall,” by Sam Smith, and Twirling Club placed third.
Varsity RBP member and junior Sierra Little performed “End of the Line” from the musical Theory of Relativity by Neil Bartram with varsity RBP member and junior Audrey Lawrence.
“Honestly, ever since freshman year, we’ve been singing this song at karaoke meetings and stuff, and every time we did it, we were like, ‘Oh, we should totally do this for the talent show,’” Little said. “This year when it came time, I told [Lawrence], ‘You want to do it?’ She was like, ‘Sure.’ It’s a pretty easy song, and it’s very catchy. The voice parts were pretty easy and fit well with our ranges, so it was kind of a no-brainer.”
Little said the two had a choreography to accompany the song. She played Sarah, the “nerd” while Lawrence played Jenny, the “popular girl.”
“It’s a funny song, definitely not serious,” Little said. “The song is not supposed to be sophisticated compared to all the beautiful songs. We’re at the end, so I’m hoping that we get a few laughs from the audience and that they walk away thinking that it was a funny show.”
To stay updated on RBP’s events and shows, follow its Instagram @redbirdprod.
