Manchester High School Student and Staff Variety Show Sells out to a 500+ Person Crowd

Mr. Randy Smith performing Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash

The first annual Manchester High School Variety Show appeared on stage Tuesday, November 12.  Normally, the MHS Drama Club puts on a dramatic play in the fall, and a musical in the spring.  This year, Language Arts teacher and Drama Club advisor Mrs. Emily Duncan decided to switch things up a bit. “One of the reasons I decided to do a Variety Show was because we have so many students who are talented and entertaining in numerous ways, but don’t have the time to commit to a play or musical,” commented Mrs. Duncan, “so I saw this as an opportunity for those students to shine.”

The show turned out to be a huge success, and ended up selling out, with over 500 audience members.  Nineteen amazing acts were presented.  Along with talented singing performances, there were dance acts, monologues, and some instrumental pieces, too.  It showed a great sense of diversity in the copious amount of talent that the students of Manchester High School obviously have.  However, not only students participated, but teachers as well.  Even Mrs. Duncan got in on the fun, singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with MHS Band Director, Mr. Jared Thronberry.  Mr. Mark West (Industrial Arts teacher) sang and played guitar, Frau Molter (German teacher) sang with piano accompaniment, and Mr. Randy Smith (Science teacher) performed a Johnny Cash tune.

“I also wanted to put something together where the teachers and the students got the opportunity to work side by side in a different atmosphere other then the classroom,” continued Mrs. Duncan, “Doing this always seems to build stronger student-teacher relationships which helps when teaching and learning in the classroom.”

The show started out strong with the local band Spring Revolver, and only picked up speed from there, ending strongly with a group of five students dancing to the N’Sync song, “Bye, Bye, Bye”, and a performance of “Ice, Ice Baby” by our very own Vanilla Gerbe (also known as Mr. Brad Gerbe, Science teacher), which audience members agreed was worth the $5 admittance fee on its own. “It was so much fun, and I am proud of all of performers and backstage techies for their hard work and dedication to the stage,” Concluded Mrs. Duncan. Hopefully, seeing how successful this Variety show was, we will have another next fall.

photos by Theresa Herron

Alexa Moore performing “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

Annie Tamagne performing The Super Mario Brothers Theme by Koji Konda on the flute

Hannah Sucha performing a monologue from Anne Frank’s Diary

Sutton Jacobs, Justine Rauch, Nathan Hicken, Hannah Bradshaw and Tristan Chandler (not shown in photo) performed Elwood’s Blues by Bob Dubinski

Kassidy Zimmer performing Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield

Mr. Brad Gerbe performing Ice, Ice, Baby by Vanilla Ice

Mr. Gerbe in action

Mr. Jared Throneberry and Mrs. Emily Duncan performing Baby It’s Cold Outside from Neptune’s Daughter.

Mr. Mark West performing The Bricklayers’ Song by Pat Cooksey

The kids taking a bow.

The kids taking another bow!

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