Three Small-Town Girls Win with Big-Time Talent

— by Cara Russell, updated Feb. 12 —

Orcas Has Talent 2014 winners, Almost Classical. Photo: Cara Russell

There was an overflow of cars outside Orcas Center on Saturday February 8 from 6:30-9:30 pm, as Orcas Has Talent (OHT) showcased this year’s nine finalists. Almost Classical took home the first place prize of $500. “Our goal was to get to the second round,” said Paris Wilson, and Emmy and Lisa Carter, who were all smiles amongst the confetti and balloons.

Announcer John Clancy made the performers feel welcome, while judges Susan Osbourn, Bob Shipstad, and Gene Nery had their work cut out for them as the nine final contestants competed for first place. But it was up to the audience to vote for the best performance.

The contestants included; Almost Classical, Madi Jane West who performed aerial silks, Cali Bagby who sang “Think of Me” from “Phantom of the Opera,” illusionist Matthew Laslo, singers Arianna Dean, as well as Junior OHT winner Stormy Hildreth, violinist Sasha Hagen, who played a classical mash-up, and Yuko Horikawa whose lovely alto voice was showcased in a traditional Japanese song. Not performing was Mikaela Hansen who was ill.

The night was fun and lighthearted. Hagen joked with the audience and said, “If I win, and if someone in the audience can guess all of the composers as well as the order that I played them, I will give them the cash prize.”

“You clearly love playing, and you hide the complexity of what you are playing, which is not easily done,” remarked one judge to Hagen.

Six of the nine contestants made it into the second round; Almost Classical, Madi Jane West, Arianna Dean, Matt Laslo, Stormy Hildreth, and Sasha Hagen.

Almost Classical played “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, proving that these three small town girls have a big time talent.

Next, the curtains opened as a long purple silk sheet plummeted to the ground above center stage. “Guess who’s next,” joked Clancy. Madi Jane West, in a beautiful bodysuit, performed aerial silks to Sara Bareilles “Gravity.” As West performed, her shadow cast on the wall behind her was as beautiful as watching her move in the silks. She showed strength and nerve as she climbed so high that she could touch the lights. Then, with the silk wrapped around her waist, she gracefully plummeted to the floor.

Ariana Dean dedicated her song in the second round to the late Bob Henigson. “He had a positive influence on so many people in the community. And for those of you who didn’t know Bob, he probably helped you and you didn’t know it,” said Dean, barefoot on the stage and wearing a fairy dress and a simple, pretty headpiece. She sang “Into the West” from “Lord of the Rings.” “So tender, thank you for sharing with us” remarked one judge, when Dean had finished.

Fog drifted out from under the curtain, as the audience prepared for another illusion by Laslo. When the curtain opened, there stood the ever-so-confident Laslo, who placed Maria Bullock, one of his lovely ladies, into a contortion box. What the heck did I just see? The box split in half. Seriously. “Fantastic,” remarked a judge. “How do you do that?” while another asked “Why do you do that?”

Stormy sang an original song written and accompanied on the piano by Grace McCune, while Hagen remarked that she is a hard act to follow. Hagen performed meditation from the opera Thais. “You are proof that Orcas really does have talent,” said a judge.

While the votes were being tallied between the rounds, the audience was entertained with performances by second place winners of the OHT Junior competition Anwyn Thomspon and Miette Woolworth, who performed their piano/vocal duo of Adele’s “Someone Like You.”

The Point Blank OHS high school leadership program took the stage with leader Julie Pinardi next. All proceeds from the OHT shows goes to the program. Point Blank is a chapter of the national organization called SADD; Students Against Destructive Decisions whose mission is to provide students with the best prevention tools possible to deal with the issues of underage drinking, other drug use, risky and impaired driving, and other destructive decisions. Pinardi said goodbye to senior student Brigid Ehrmantraut who will be going away to college next year.

Donna Laslo shared for a second year in a row, her popular flash mob music video through Eastsound Village. The video featured familiar faces dancing to Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.”

Donna Laslo acknowledged how it takes a small army to make a show like OHT work. She thanked Orcas Issues, Islands Sounder, and Darvill’s Bookstore for publicity, Jim Bredouw who ran the sound, Robert Hall and Ray Doss for running lights, assistant stage manager Brigid Ehrmantraut, as well as Jake Perrine, Regina Zwilling, and Adia Dolan who consistently rolled the grand piano on and off the stage, set up mikes and took them down, as well as many other who contributed.

By round three, only three contestants were still standing on the stage; Almost Classical, Matt Laslo, and Stormy Hildreth. The three remaining contestants had one more round to prove to the audience that they were the one to win OHT 2014.

Almost Classical members Paris Wilson, Emmy and Lisa Carter utilized two violins, the harp, and the piano in their final performance of the night with a three part harmony of ‘Love the Way You Lie.’

Hildreth sang “Oh Danny Boy” a capella, in a simple pleated black dress. Her beautiful voice resonated through the auditorium and did all the work as she sang the song that won her the junior competition.

Laslo performed his final illusion, with his two assistants, Maria Bullock and Virginia Sides. “This next illusion was performed by Harry Houdini in 1929. It was his favorite, and it is mine too,” said Laslo. The assistants tied Laslo into a bag, placed him in a large box, that was then chained shut. Behind a large curtain, Laslo and Bullock pulled the ol switcheroo.

Last year’s OHT winner Kellen Comrie, took the stage to play piano while the audience waited for the final votes to be tallied. “I have a cold,” he said, so Clancy quickly took back the mic in a joking manner. Comrie sat at the piano, and soon the audience realized that he was merely pulling songs from memory on the spot. Comrie had audience members singing along, while enjoying his talent.

The three remaining contestants, Almost, Laslo, and Hildreth took to the stage one final time. The winner was honestly anyone’s guess, as each of these young and talented people could have been named the winner. But it was Almost Classical that took home the enormous check.

Congratulations to all of the contestants of Last night’s OHT competition. Orcas truly does have talent.