SEYMOUR — This year’s Performing Arts show at Seymour High School was titled “Everything Bagel” and was a spectacle to see. Just as its name suggests, the show had a bit of everything seasoned in it, from Country to Heavy Metal to Bluegrass to Pop, even the dance team performed.
As the performers attested, they can confirm that Friday, March 22nd was a packed house night, as were the school assemblies during the day on April 9th.
This year, director Joshua Swetts, and associate director Emily Jepson did not join the Performing Arts group on stage like last year, rather it was over a dozen alumni dating back to the class of 2017. It was an amazing scene to watch the current members perform with past members, as well as Seymour High School’s dance team led by Dianne Lydiksen.
Before the first show, teachers Stephanie Ciccone and Darlene Soden provided a fund-raising dinner in the cafeteria for the club and the upcoming trip to Europe. Ms. Soden also designed the amazing backdrop to the performances as seen in these pictures.
The shows’ performances themselves were magical, with songs ranging from upbeat, fast paced songs like “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves, to slow, mellow acoustic songs like “Aja” by Steely Dan. What made these shows so special were the twists the club put into every song to make them their own.
This included the merging of the acoustic, laid-back version of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” with its infamous earlier and heavier counterpart. There was also a bluegrass spin to “Stick Season”, the collaboration with the dance team on Cosmic Girl, and even a piano cover of Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo in “Eruption”, played by our very own Jack Blanding. The Performing Arts club was asked to pick their top three songs. “Cosmic Girl” by Jamiroquai (with the dance team) won first place at people’s #1 song with “Toxicity” by System of a Down at second, and “Lucky” by Megan Moroney at third.
As a finale, current members performed the alumni on an epic version of “Stairway to Heaven”, by Led Zeppelin. This was very special to some alumni as this song was supposed to be performed during March of 2020, but was cancelled due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Unfortunately, the Performing Arts group has to say goodbye to seniors Fiona Pasley, Kaya Dupee, Mackenzie Katrenya, Olivia DeToto, and Aidan Smith. They will be missed.
The Everything Bagel was nothing less than an absolute hit. The entire club, the directors, and alumni put their whole hearts into these performances and the results are worth every note.
Who knows what next year will bring?
