Shining a light on Variety Show
Find out what Variety Show is and what it means to its performers!
Julie Tarling, junior and third-year performer, singing a solo.
February 12, 2020
Once again, Neuqua Valley’s Variety Show has come and gone. As a Neuqua Valley staple, Variety Show often sells out crowds. On a surface level, Variety Show is just Neuqua Valley’s yearly talent show, but to its cast, it is much, much more.
According to three-year performer Julie Tarling, junior, “I love V-Show because it’s a great way to get young performers out there in a way that’s very unique. It’s not a small talent show: there’s big lights, and it helps me do what I love on a big stage.” Variety Show is a connection. It’s a community. It’s a home for the vagrant talent of Neuqua Valley to congregate.
According to Sofia Ramos, junior, of returning band Dopamine, “it’s a great area to play in because there’s so many people who come out to see the show; it’s a way to get experience performing.” Even though Dopamine is new to performing, they have been inspired by Variety Show to enter a Battle of the Bands contest. Variety Show is an outlet for students to express and experiment.
Variety Show isn’t just performing. There’s a sense of unity and camaraderie among the performers. Jude Shaffer, senior and guest drummer for the band Spicee, says, “It’s just so cool to see everybody doing something they’re passionate about and sharing with the school something that they’re doing. I think that’s really important.”
Senior and second-year performer Emma Wightkin says, “I really like when people pull out unique acts, like the lightsabers… it’s fun to see what people have, especially when other people don’t even know [they can do that].” Although Variety Show is heavily made up of song and dance, there are other, more niche performances that simply don’t fit within the other Neuqua performances.
Variety Show is more than a typical high school talent show. According to the performers, it serves not only as a showcase of creativity and individuality, but also as a community, a home, and a family.
Interested in trying out for Variety Show or similar events? Check out www.nvhstheatre.com!
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