Fran Guido
October at Dobbs Ferry High School brings both challenging assignments and exciting events. The annual MAC Day Talent Show is just one example of the latter. The talent show is a chance for students to show off their creativity and dedication to the arts.
At the talent show, performers can sing, dance, or find another way to impress the audience. This tradition has spawned many memorable performances along with some great laughs. This yearly tradition raises Eagle spirit, making the talent show a school experience that no one will forget! This year’s production certainly lived up to the expectations. The audience saw many fabulous acts, ranging from rock bands to interpretive dances.
One of the opening acts was The Thursdays, performing “Basket Case,” by Greenday. Through performances at the local open mics, various school events, and even at some restaurants, this band has become a Dobbs Ferry High School sensation. An all-Junior band, members include Eleanor Walker, Katie Hung, Mira Romano, Sloane DiSimone, and Juniper McGrath. Their performance at the talent show was incredibly entertaining! Not only was the audience amazed, but the band was proud of what they had performed. According to lead guitarist Mira Romano, “I thought it went really well and I had a lot of fun! I will definitely be participating again next year. Drummer Katie Hung commented, “I would definitely play next year! I love performing and practicing, I think the performance went great”.
Sophomores Colin Carmody, Theodore Stern, and Miran Phipps performed “The Room Where It Happens” by Leslie Odom Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda, from the musical Hamilton. The crowd was excited to see Colin Carmody return to the stage, as last year his performance of a different Hamilton song wowed everyone watching. It is safe to say that this year’s performance did not disappoint! All three singers did an amazing job in the song, and each person incorporated so much personality into the performance. Colin Carmody feels that “It went incredibly,” as does everyone else in the trio!
In addition to singing with The Thursdays, Juniors Mira Romano and Juniper Mcgrath performed “Come As You Are” by Nirvana with freshman Henry Maass. The band commented before their performance that the act was a last-minute decision. Although you would never be able to tell by how well they did!
In a beautifully unique performance, Senior Isabella Rivera added a taste of culture to the show as she performed a Mexican Heritage dance, native to the region Sinola. She captivated the audience with bold skirt movements and catchy music. “I love dancing this style,” says Isabella, “In my Mexican Folk Dancing company, Calpulli, we dance this together so I already had the choreography and movements memorized!” Her performance perfectly exemplifies the spirit of the talent show. It was a beautiful performance that also gave students the opportunity to appreciate a tradition previously unfamiliar to them.
Senior, Isla Baird performed multiple acts in the show! Her first act was done with her folk band Lily on the Roof, performing “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers. Isla describes it as “a really fun song”. She says one of the reasons for choosing it was that she and the band “wanted to do something people knew and could sing along to” The band chose to enter the show on the morning of Mac Day, giving them limited time to prepare. Isla also performed the song “Vienna,” by Billy Joel. She sang with Anabella Javier, a fellow senior and close friend. According to Anabella, “we wanted to perform something for our senior year together”.
One of the reasons why this talent show ran so smoothly was because of the amazing hosts. Seniors Anisa Cruz and Alyssa Reda kept the audience entertained with a rally of jokes and excellent commentating. In addition to hosting, they also helped to set up and plan. Alyssa and Anisa worked together with high school teacher Mr. Brennan to organize the entire show. Anisa said that “the people who signed up found us, and then Alyssa and I figured out the time that they would go on”. Although sometimes overlooked, the behind-the-scenes components of events like the talent show can play vital roles in the quality of the occasion. Alyssa and Anisa certainly did a great job!
The 2024 Mac Day Talent Show was a treat to watch. Seeing how performers made each act their own was truly special. Unfortunately, not every act could make it into this article, but each one was just as amazing as the next! The energy the performers brought to the stage made the show remarkable to watch. The only thing as exciting as this year’s show is the anticipation of what next year’s Mac Field Day Talent Show has in store!