Oyster Bay Preps for Annual Talent Show

This story was submitted by Oyster Bay-East Norwich School District's Tom Gould.

There is an old saying that the “family that plays together, stays together.” The Oyster Bay-East Norwich community is very much like one big extended family. Every year the Oyster Bay High School holds a Talent and Variety Show featuring the talents of our students and staff
playing together.

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The Talent show will be held on Friday, February 8 in the Oyster Bay High School Performing Arts Center (the PAC) at 8 pm when we will celebrate our twentieth year.

The Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Ki-Jana Walker-Michel.

Notable additions to this show come from the emergence of two new bands at Oyster Bay High School. A freshman singing trio including Charlie Dane, Angela Fazzalari and Savannah Rose Green, collectively known as “The Dudes” have a bright contemporary sound. Last year when the girls first started showing up at Open Mic Nights then host Greg Cassella would refer to them as the dudes. The name stuck and now they are a wonderful singing group that wowed the crowd during Red Ribbon Week. Their harmonies are spectacular.

The upperclassmen have come together with a band bringing unique arrangements and a great feel to the stage. That band, named Tractor Trailer, includes Stevie Matthews on Vibes, Corey King on Drums and Andre Flammia on Bass.

Abigail Santiago will make her Talent Show debut with a performance of “Love
Somebody."

Hannah Kulis is known to practice her piano up to three hours a day. She is a wonderful talent and is sure to delight the crowd with her inspired touch on the Steinway grand piano as she performs a beautiful classical piece.

It is always a pleasure to welcome members of the theater arts productions to the Talent Show stage. Liz Gurdus, Matthew Mahoski, Grey Warwick-Clark and Oliver Gonzalez have all played major roles in the musical productions at Oyster Bay High School. The Talent Show gives these performers an opportunity to show another aspect of their enormous talent with songs of their own choosing. Liz Gurdus are coming off having just participated in a concert as All-State singers.

Nathalie Mejia debuted in last year’s show singing and playing the guitar. Last summer, Nathalie recorded a vocal for the first ever Oyster Bay-East Norwich Schools CD. She will be singing the song from the CD.

The show is billed as a student/staff talent show and true to its name as students and staff perform side by side in a fun filled evening of song and dance. A highlight of every show is Mr. Stephen Walker’s faculty band. Mr. Walker takes a modern song and re-writes the lyrics to deliver a positive message about our school and education in general. This year Mr. Walker takes on One Direction. Mr. Walker will be joined on stage by veteran teacher performers Matt Brown, Scott Knapp, Chris Weber, Sara Cuniglio, Tim McCarthy and Tom Gould.

This year the Talent and Variety Show welcomes OBHS Teacher Sara Cuniglio back to the big stage. Ms. Cuniglio missed the past two shows while she started her beautiful young family. As in the past, Ms. Cuniglio will thrill the audience with her dancing abilities as she performs with dance partner Jonathan Mendez. Ms. Cuniglio looks forward to participating in this show and the return of International Night in the spring.

OBHS Freshman Charlie Dane has making a name for herself as a professional singer songwriter. She has two well produced CD’s and has played countless festivals, stages, events and radio. Charlie will perform songs from her impressive original songbook. Charlie is already an established songwriter at the age of 15.

The ever popular staff band will close the show rocking the house with OBHS Alum, Chris Fasulo joins the band this year bringing his considerable talents on lead guitar. Math Teacher Scott Knapp is impressive in his ability to hit the high notes on Vocals. Stephen Walker will join the staff band this year on the keyboard. Tom Gould will play bass. OBHS student Stevie Matthews sit down behind the drum kit to lay down a rock solid backbeat for the staff band.

For the past twenty years the Talent Show has been filled with a very talented group of performers. The event is presented by the Oyster Bay High School Media Arts Club guided by Advisor Mr. Tom Gould. The Media Arts Club officers include President Stevie Matthews, Vice President Hannah Kulis, Treasurer Hannah Guarini, Secretary Charlie Lublin, and Historian Ally Thienel.

It is a much anticipated evening of entertainment, now in its second decade at Oyster Bay High School. The five dollar admission will benefit the Foreign Language Honor Society.

For less than the cost of a movie matinee, five dollars for an evening of live entertainment of this caliber makes the OBHS Talent & Variety show on Friday, February 8, the best value around.