While UMass Boston may fall short when it comes to regular student participation in on-campus activities, one thing it has never lacked is the talent and commitment of students in the visual and performing arts. Such talent was most recently seen during December’s Talent Show held in Wheately’s Snowden auditorium.
Despite the more-than-an- hour-long delay, the event went off without a hitch. UMB student Chuck Zeogas opened the show with an energetic lip-synched rendition of Aerosmith’s “Hearts Done Time.” Still wearing his long haired-wig and dark shades, Zeogas, who also co-hosted and organized the show, took a moment to apologize to the audience for the delay.
The first act to perform was a non-UMB band called September Twilight, consisting of three electric guitarists, a drummer and a lead vocalist. While the band’s original songs, which incorporated some preset synthesized effects, were certainly loud, their volume was not deafening. Lead vocalist Bill Bloom brought an impressive range of pitch and tone to his lyrics. Throughout the band’s five sets, which represented a kind of progressive indie-rock style, September Twilight maintained a genuine sense of energy and spunk. CD and band information can be found at www.septembertwilight.com.
UMB student Faye Blanza’s two solo ballads “Broken Vow” and “Do You Believe” exuded a passionate and comforting aura to the stage. Though small in stature, Blanza’s elegant, gentle voice made her presence known.
Next on stage was a comedy shtick from UMB student Fred Norton who delivered a critique of several life-size art sculptures on campus. Commenting that much of the “so called” art on campus “sucks” Norton characterized most of the Arts on the Point sculptors as being “pretty much representative of one of Steven Erin’s wet dreams.”
Singling out two particular pieces, the Lagartos (Alligators) a fiberglass sculpture in the Clark Building, and the 50-foot steel Huru sculpture located on the soccer field, Norton likened the first to “an alligator orgy” and the second to leftovers from the Big Dig. At one point, Norton invited any art students to come to the mic to give their view on UMB’s art, as well as on Norton’s self professed “very dry humor.” Before offering her opinion on campus art, the one art student who stepped to the mic offered to get Norton a bottle of water – a joke that went unnoticed by most in the audience.
The fashion show, which was superbly choreographed by UMB student Neidine Lynch, was by far the talent show’s biggest highlight. As they took their turns on the catwalk, the various models, including Student Senators Sophia Wong and Christina Navarro, triggered enthusiastic whoops and shout-outs from the audience.
Rounding out the show were debut performances by singer-song writers Russ McCormack and Elif Irtemcelik. When asked how she thought the talent show went, fashion show participant Christina Navarro remarked, “Unfortunately, because of the storm, a lot of our audience wasn’t able to make it. But the whole show turned out to be lots of fun, and a great preview into the Spring Talent Show! I think we’ll see a lot of support and really awesome acts turn out for the [Spring Talent Show].”