Peet variety show opens March 1

Since the ’90s, Peet has put on a show to showcase a diverse range of talents from students. This year, on March 1 at 7 p.m., the students in the Peet Variety Show will be showing off their talents on the Peet stage. Those tickets cost $6. On Saturday, March 2 at 1 p.m., the students will also perform. All student tickets on Saturday are only $2. The show will be anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half in time. 

The show would not go on without the choir director Carter Shaull and band directors Erin Lins and Ben Byersdorfer. While one of the choirs performs and jazz band plays at the show, they also help rehearse and teach students how to do sound and lights. 

Shaull said, “It’s sort of like a talent show; you have like different talents sign up to participate. There’s no winner or judge, of course, but you have different acts to audition to be a part of it. We let some of them in, and then we also have emcees, and they keep the whole show moving. They write their own script and rehearse it and learn it, and they kind of tie the whole thing together, but it’s just a fun showing off of a lot of the talents at Peet.”

About 16 acts audition before break, and a little under half get in. Shaull said, “People rehearse and get ready to audition before break starts when we come back from break in January. Right at the beginning we basically have our auditions right away, and they’re almost ready to go, the acts. We only do some minor tweaks, and then the emcees started before break as well.”

The kinds of talent this year is a big range. There is the Melodies choir, jazz band, solo singers, dancing and a guitar solo. Avery Rogers is in Melodies and is also doing a solo singing piece to the song “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele. She has been performing in the variety show for three years. She said, “I love the community, the fun we have, and the space to create, perform and do what I love. It really is a special thing to be a part of.”

Rogers also said, “We have a lot of really great acts this year. Melodies and jazz band have been working super hard. We have some dancers, a pianist, a guitarist, a skit, two vocal solos and some really funny emcees. I wish I could watch it all. Everyone is so talented.”

The variety show isn’t just fun for the students performing, but it’s a lot of work to set up the show. Shaull said the show will “give kids an outlet number one for their talents, give them some responsibilities to learn how to put that one and then to showcase the great talents we have at Peet.”

Shaull also said, “It’s a lot of fun, especially the emcees. They put on a great performance this year. There’s so much student talent and creativity, and there’s snacks included with your ticket.” Roger also said, “It is great entertainment. You get to see a variety of talents and people doing the things they love most. If none of the things I’ve said so far have convinced you to see it, we have really good snacks during intermission.”