The annual Prowler Talent Show was finally held Thursday Nov. 30. This show date had to get pushed back due to four days of school closures prior to Thanksgiving break. The Prowler staff, however, did not let it phase them.
Junior Addie Flint was a stage manager for the production.
“Although the forest fires caused the show to be moved to a different date, the show was still very successful and we received great feedback from the public,” said Flint. “We are all thankful for how willing the acts were to adjust and have patience with us as we figured out the new plans.”
The production featured 11 acts, each one with a unique talent to share with the audience.
However, the event was not simply a show, it was also a competition judged by a panel of four judges. Mrs. Lindsey Flint, the Rockbridge County Gifted Coordinator, Mr. Patrick Walters, a Journalism professor at Washington and Lee University, Mr. Robby Jones, the owner of the downtown jewelry store Hamric & Sheridan, and Mr. David Miller, golf coach and teacher at RCHS.
Miller reflected on the production, and on his time as a judge.
“I am always proud of all the students that are willing to get up in front of parents and peers and perform,” said Miller. “The Prowler students and Mrs. Holton put a lot of work into the show and it showed. The variety of acts was great and the judges had a hard, but fun, time in picking the winners.”
Though it was a hard time picking just three winners, after a brief intermission the judges came to a consensus on their top three placements. Senior Daniel Grimm was awarded third place for his vocals and guitar to the song “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan. Junior Liam Courtney-Collins was then awarded second place for his card magic and quick Rubix cube solving.
Finally, senior James Baker’s group act “Half-Brass” won the coveted first place award. Baker composed an original piece called “Contraband” and had eight members, including himself, performing in the show. Thomas Ayoub-Winder, Calvin Clark, Jackson Diette, Aidan Gist, Ezra Kelland, Sammy Eastwood, and Cody Harding accompanied Baker in the victory.
The first place feeling is not unfamiliar to Baker, as he was already the defending champion of the show from winning with a solo act in 2022’s production. However, this year he got to experience it with seven of his peers who all together put on an outstanding performance, and it reflected as such on the judge’s scorecards.
Baker’s group also received the People’s Choice award to add to their successes that evening.
The annual Prowler Talent Show is a way that the Journalism program raises money to keep growing in our field! It is planned and rehearsed for weeks, and everything finally comes together on shownight. The program made a profit of $3,352, and hosted in front of nearly 300 people in the crowd. The Prowler staff is extremely thankful to all of the sponsors who helped put on the show, and to everyone who came to see the hard work pay off.
