Fifteenth annual Magnet Arts Night goes off with a bang

The best talent in the Magnet program was showcased during the 2004 Magnet Arts Night.

In addition to what was exhibited on stage, artwork was plastered across the entrance to the auditorium to showcase not only Magnet performing talent but artistic talent as well.

Although equipment problems plagued several bands that had electric guitars, the event went smoothly, and for not charging admission, the entertainment was exceptionally professional.

Act One

To open the show, emcee seniors Todd Bryant, Marianne Epstein, Maria Luckyanova and junior Abigail Fraeman came on stage and did a good job of amusing the crowd. Their Magnet-oriented humor was a little excessive in the beginning, but as the show progressed, their jokes became more general and appealing to everyone in the audience. The emcees were personable and had tremendous stage presence.

The first act of the night was the jazz band Skosh. They played an energetic version of "Go, Daddio." Although the performance was a little blaring, the group remained together and made the song their own.

The show proceeded with an a capella version of "May It Be" from the movie Lord of the Rings, sung by juniors Grace Huang, Koyel Bhattacharryya, Tencia Lee and Tina Kariya and seniors Betsy Haibel and Elizabeth Finn. The group's rendition of the song could have used more energy but was a good effort overall.

The next act provided a jolt of energy to the show. Freshmen Monika Chadda and Anjana Mohanty, sophomores Kiran Belani and Jahnavi Bhaskar, junior Seema Kacker and seniors Sreela Namboodiri, Neha Rustagi and Aditi Bhaskar performed an Indian dance that was upbeat and extremely rigorous. The group's tastefully flashy salwar kameezes in greens, reds, blues and oranges were also visually appealing and added a spice of excitement to the act. Belani was especially enthusiastic and contributed a high amount of power and force to the group's performance.

Next came a string quartet consisting of seniors James Gao and Wei-Wei Wang and students Yeari Choi and Lisa Kwak. They played Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 1, Opus 18" and were as together as a professional group.

Freshman band Snak Time played Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze." Lead singer Max Lockwood was spirited, but not much else was spectacular about the group.

Musical Magnet faculty members Karen Collins, Bob Donaldson and Daniel Levin played "Poor Orphan Child," a song about a child whose father died. Collins' vocals were especially unique and charming, and Levin on the upright bass and Donaldson on bass vocals made the group a cohesive, melodious unit.

The show changed pace once again when a group of wushu experts, seniors Michael Chen and Jason Liu, juniors Tencia Lee and Paul Wong and Lee's younger sister Tenyia displayed their martial arts savvy with intense choreography and immaculate physical ability. Some of the stunts were so difficult that Gumby would have trouble replicating them.

A vocal performance of "Yakusoko" by Okazaki Ritsuko from the anime cartoon Love Hina was accompanied by freshmen Hailey Lin and Ann Sun on violin and student Jeff Gou on piano. The song was in Japanese and was an act more unique than any other act that followed it. Although a tad long and repetitive and although people may not have understood the content of the song, it was still a sweet ballad that had a different premise than other acts.

To end the first act, a group of Magnet seniors performed an encore of "La Vie Magnet," a parody of "La Vie Boheme" from Rent. The performance sounded a bit off, but the energy from the group was intense and compensated for some lackluster vocals.

Act Two

The second act commenced with senior David Kim playing Franz Liszt's "Orage" on the piano. Kim's fingers flashed on keys in a humanly impossible way. His display of precision and technical prowess wowed the audience and left several people enthusiastically yelling for an encore performance.

The Greg Vieira Experience played "One Way Out" by Sonny Boy Williamson. This band was the most groomed and professional of the night. The solos from band member senior Jared Osborn and Magnet alumnus Greg Vieira on guitar and vocal were simply astonishing.

The only comedy act of the night was with "Hu's on First," a remix of Abbot and Costello's baseball skit. Using the names of Magnet seniors as people of the different bases, (Han Hu, Sam Wen, and Noah Foreman), seniors Joe Kramer and Greg Maker devised comedy that as confusing as it was hysterical.

The next act was an inspiring combination of glowing lights, intricate choreography and acrobatics. The G-Stringas, who performed their routine to "D.C. to the Max," were very coordinated and had genius in their synchronization and awesome spinning light tricks.

MagToneNation, the best singing ensemble of the night, performed the famous theme song from Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The group's integration of smooth harmonies and beat boxing made the presentation irresistible ear candy.

Next, the band Funkier than Superman played their original, "Bubble Wrap Blues." The lyrics didn't make any sense, but maybe that was the point.

Sophomore Joseph Dario played and sang a heartfelt "One" from A Chorus Line, backing it up with a great piano accompaniment. His voice had an edgy, bold and fearless Broadway feel.

The show concluded with yet another senior group who adapted the Will Smith song "Getting Jiggy with It" to "Getting Nerdy with It." The rappers were off-beat and inaudible, but the group of dancing Magnet girls singing "na, na, na, na, na, na, na" was the most interesting part of the act.