By Faith Gonia
Don’t get me wrong, I always love attending Westmont Theatre performances. But there is something uniquely enjoyable about one of Westmont’s productions in particular—Rockstar. If you have never had the pleasure of attending the annual lip sync battle, allow me to illustrate what makes this night so special.
This year, junior Elle Seguin directed Rockstar, where she organized ten separate student-choreographed performances to form a night’s worth of entertainment. The show began with an energetic group number—“9 to 5” by Dolly Parton—where every student brought immeasurable energy and smiles to the audience’s faces. Thereafter, smaller groups of two to seven each performed famous songs from both the Broadway and Pop genres.
Each act allowed the performers’ personalities to shine through—an occurrence that is not always possible within the bounds of an already-written musical or play. With the creative freedom to choose songs, groups, and choreography, students had the ability to showcase whatever they wished to the eager audience (who, of course, loved every minute of it).
Key moments from Rockstar include a jaw-dropping rendition of “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago, where six women in a county jail—played by Holly Williams, Kaleb Ma, Anna Genna, Noella Thu, Leef Orr, and Allyson Jezyk—try to justify why they killed their spouses—played by Jonah Martinez.
Not to mention a hilarious version of “Meet the Plastics” from Mean Girls, where the iconic Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith were played respectively by Zach Kessler, Jimmy Nguyen, and Jonah Martinez.
But alas, only one number can win first place. Receiving a Google Form with the unlimited response setting turned on, the audience possessed so much political efficacy that out of roughly 50 seats occupied in the theater, the audience voted 156 times!
Consequently, a transformative 2000s/2010s mashup took home the main trophy. Choreographed and performed by Jimmy Nguyen, Charline Gervais, Otra Phillips, and Mika Shahar, the performance consisted of four different songs—each a choice of one of the performers. Jimmy starred in “Escalate” by Tsar B; Mika, “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC; Charline, “Oops!…I Did It Again” by Britney Spears; Otra, “Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas.
There is no better way to say it: Rockstar rocked! Great job to Westmont Theatre for yet another night of spectacular entertainment.