This past weekend, Neuqua Valley held its annual Variety Show featuring 28 different acts ranging from singing to dancing to beatboxing. All of the performances from the night were spectacular, but there are definitely a few that especially stood out to me. Here are some students whom I think you should keep an eye out for in the future because I truly think they’re going to make it big time with their work. 

Paul Casco

Casco kicked off the show with a spectacular piano and vocal performance of “New York State of Mind” that truly set the stage for the rest of the night. He had such great energy that truly brought a smile to my face (albeit him not being able to see it under my mask). 

Abby Laipple

My jaw literally dropped when Laipple came on stage. Not only is she incredibly beautiful, but she also took to the stage like a professional singer. She was singing at the Variety Show, but her performance of “Falling” made me feel like I was at Harry Styles’ Love on Tour. Just amazing.

Alice Braun

Braun shared a live performance of their original song “Keeping Your Things,” and I was in absolute awe of their creativity. The lyrics, the chords, the vocals, just everything about their performance was… wow. It’s incredible that people like them have the ability to create something so beautiful from scratch. Listening to them felt like listening to WRENN or a good old Pale Waves song, and I’m really hoping to see more of their work soon. 

Niamh Nugent 

I think this had to be one of the most adorable performances of the night. I know don’t Nugent personally, but you could just tell by her energy that she’s an absolute sweetheart. Her complete aura on stage was just so inviting, and her performance of “Drained” simply brought so much joy to my night.

Vidhi Arora

I genuinely thought I was listening to the studio version of a song when Arora began singing. Her voice is so smooth and soothing; I feel like I could easily compare it to Normani and SZA’s, and I mean that incredibly honestly. A flawless performance if you ask me. 

Fat Brass – Aditya Bansal, Nick Doherty, Anish Singh, Jack Tolentino, Shrujan Velpula and Thomas Vigh

Fat Brass was able to keep the crowd entertained right from the beginning of Act 2. With their medley of songs, I was hooked immediately. By the time it came to an end, I was absolutely captivated by their performance. I could definitely listen to them for hours. 

Reesa Espera

“Cloud 9” by Beach Bunny has always been one of my favorite songs, but I think I like Espera’s version better. Her voice is so angelic, and her grooving on the guitar as opposed to just singing made the performance so fun. We need her version on Spotify now!

Callie Kubal

I have no other words to describe Kubal’s performance other than stunning. Kubal is incredibly talented and sings like a literal professional. I swear I got goosebumps during her performance of “Your Power.” She might just be Billie Eilish’s daughter. 

Jimmy Long and Camryn Singer

Long and Singer’s dance routine provided a break from much of the singing at the show, and they were so beautiful to watch. They moved across the stage like literal ghosts in the night, and I’m honestly still confused how they were able to contort their bodies in those ways. 

Campbell Crose and Shivam Patniak 

It’s hard to talk about these two separately because I really think they complement each other so well. Campbell Crose and Shivam Patniak (Patniak is also known as Junior) truly know how to put on a performance. They were part of other acts in the show, but their final performance truly ended off the show on a good note. They’ve released a lot more music individually, so you should totally check that out.