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Noah Chaney offers a violin solo during the a talent show held at Crook County High School on Friday evening.
Children throughout Crook County were given the opportunity last Friday to step into the spotlight and showcase their talents for the community to see.
Students from the advanced acting class at Crook County High School coordinated and hosted a talent show that featured nearly 20 acts ranging from music to dance to comedy.
“We try to reach out to the community as often as possible,” said Chyanne McKinnis, who assumed the role of lead producer for the show. “We want to be able to showcase the talents that kids in our community have. A lot of the time, they don’t get the chance to showcase those talents. A lot of them have hidden talents.”
The show included several musical numbers from vocalists and piano players as well as a violin solo.
“Music is something that a lot of people are passionate about,” McKinnis noted.
Other participants demonstrated their dance skills, including one act that featured expert hula-hoop skills, while another participant delivered an off-beat comedy routine.
“He is really into comedy,” McKinnis said of the performer, “so we put him in there, and that adds variety.
While the slate kept people entertained for more than an hour-and-a- half, the acts only represented a third of the auditions that McKinnis and others considered.
“Everyone was very incredible. I’m surprised at how much talent we have in this community,” she said. “We can only admit so many acts. It was a very hard choice. We spent three hours deciding.”
The talent show serves as fundraiser for the drama class. People attended the talent show free of charge, but the approximately 200 people in attendance voted for their favorite acts by dropping a dollar in their corresponding bucket. The buckets lined the stage throughout the duration of the show. Whoever collected the most money won the show.
“We get some revenue from the show,” McKinnis said. “It goes into the thespian group account, so that helps us put on more shows.”
For their drama instructor, Anita Hoffman, the talent show allows her to step back and let the students take the reins.
“They have to put on a show once a term,” she said, noting that they hosted the Veterans Recognition concert this past fall. “It becomes theirs. They planned it. They were the judges for the talent (auditions). They had to send out notifications – they are the point people. It becomes their production.”
Results of the talent show were not available by press deadline.
