By Tammy Ashworth (December 16, 2002)

Students, faculty, and other members of the Falls Church community turned out in high numbers this past Friday evening for the one-night-only showing of this year’s "Kaleidoscope"-themed Junior Variety Show.
 

Senior Alisa Sukachevin performs Dess’re’s “You Gotta Be.” Alisa performed with friends Ashlie Peters and Stefanie Johnston. (Photo by Michael Miller)	Junior Sarah Snyder sings the Whitney Houston hit “I Will Always Love You,” at Friday night’s JV show. (Photo by Michael Miller)

Although students and teachers alike turned in one stellar performance after another, the format evoked an image that seemed more congruent with American Bandstand than with the JV show I have come to know and love during my years here at Mason. Throughout the evening, I found myself wondering what had happened to the variety in the junior variety show.

If there was indeed any variety to be found, it was in the range of musical selections and styles that performers chose. From Rachel Leonard’s interpretation of "Smoke," by Natalie Imbruglia, to Katie Aylor’s and Ted Smith’s sassy rendition of Buddy Holly’s "That’ll Be the Day," the show managed to stay true to its "Kaleidoscope" theme as a dizzying array of surprises – albeit, almost entirely musical ones.

More than a few of my fellow seniors choked up during the opening performance of seniors Grateon Tripp and Grant Sabatier’s original composition "Thanks for the Memories," and Courtney Simpson and Claire Smalley’s a cappella version of the Beatles’ "Let It Be," was equally awe-inspiring.

Seniors Alisa Sukachevin, Stefanie Johnston, and Ashlie Peters delivered their rendition of Dess’re’s "You Gotta Be," a cappella, accompanied only by a tambourine. Johnston returned to the stage at the opening of Act II with brother Todd to rap the beloved MC Hammer classic "Turtle Power," which was received with wild applause.

Bringing true meaning to the term "comic relief," were the all-too-brief comedic stylings of Billy Gallagher with "Friday Night Live," the only non-musical act in the entire show, unless you count the occasional lighthearted diversions provided by emcees Elise Edwards and Greg Corbino.

Ms. Snyder’s guitar class, calling themselves "Traffic Jam," played a series of enjoyable selections. The audience was treated to more guitar music just a few acts later with sisters Lusine and Helen Sargysan’s remarkable performance of Pink Floyd’s "Wish You Were Here," and an original composition entitled "If."

The hit song "I Will Always Love You," by Whitney Houston "never sounded so good," as one student put it, as when Sarah Snyder performed it on stage Friday evening. And for the second year in a row, an ensemble of Mason teachers gathered on stage in Southern garb, trading in last year’s "Mustang Sally," for the crowd-pleaser "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," by Charlie Daniels. The teachers not only sang but also played their own instruments.

The evening concluded on a high note with Adeyemi Ojumu’s rendition of Louie Armstrong’s "It’s a Wonderful World," reminding this reviewer that, in the end, the JV show isn’t just about the variety, but it’s about what people bring to their performances. After all, it truly is a wonderful world when you can spend an evening in the presence of such undeniable talent.