In the Campus Center Ballroom, 16 student acts displayed their abilities at the UMass Boston Talent Show on Thursday, March 29. Although the event was rescheduled to an earlier time than originally planned, the performers were not fazed.
“You are not making this easy for us,” joked current University Student Government President Travis Henderson, one of the Talent Show judges.
UMass Boston freshman Mariah Silva opened the event with her cover of Mariah Carey’s “Hero.” Silva was then followed by senior Albert Chen, who sang an original song of his while playing the piano. Chen even got the crowd involved, asking the audience to help him sing the chorus to his piece.
If you attended Casa Latina’s Un Pueblo Unido event a while back, you might have recognized students Angela Spignese and Wellington Palma, UMass Boston’s salsa couple, whose performance at the event was well received. This time, their dance felt rather clustered, as they were forced to fit on a small stage instead of a dance floor. Aura, also a familiar face from Un Pueblo Unido, reprised her dance, this time accompanied by the singing of sophomore Chris Louis.
Chris Lomax, the emcee at Un Pueblo Unido, was also present at the talent show. Lomax sang Sam Cooke.
Two female students performed a dance that utilized hula-hoops. The colorful plastic rings spun wildly about their bodies yet were never dropped.
In addition to the numerous singing and dancing acts, Daniel Richardson got some chuckles with his stand-up comedy.
But it was Junior Cius, Grant Fisher, and Hiep Xick, a trio of dancers dressed up as Steve Urkel, who really won the viewers over. Their pop and lock dance style went well with the dubstep mix that energized the crowd. Highlights included coordinated robot movements, comedic interjections of, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” and back flips off each other on that tiny, crowded stage.
This event was hosted by the Student Arts and Events Council (SAEC). Auditions were required in order to be an act in the show, requiring previous knowledge of the show and arrangements to showcase one’s talent.
