By: Gowri Sunil

News Editor

On Apr. 17, LGHS hosted its annual Friday Night Live show (FNL), a night filled with a multitude of talents including singing, dancing, and comedy. LGHS’s leadership crew organized the event, with junior class presidents Claire Kim and Silvia Miletich leading the production and management. 

Preparation for the event began the week of the show, with auditions held on Tuesday, Apr. 14,  followed by two days of rehearsals. Miletich explained that the auditions were held to prioritize commitment in order “to create a good opportunity for everyone to perform and showcase their talent.” This year’s show featured 12 acts, including both solo and group performances. The scheduled acts began with non-senior groups, then an intermission, and ended with the senior spotlight, which Miletich shared was meant to “congratulate the seniors for their last performance at the school.”

Although attendance started small, the theater quickly filled up as the show went on. The event opened with the MP3 Club’s rendition of American Teenager by Ethel Cain; other acts included K-pop dance routine to Easy by Le Sserafim, an Andy Kaufman inspired comedy skit, and a variety of instrumental and vocal music.

Other than the planned acts, the emcees also introduced interactive competitions, like a push-up contest where nine participants were spontaneously called from the crowd, and a trivia game. Sophomore Kate Kinczel, an audience member and push-up competitor, noted that the trivia game was especially humorous because of some unfortunately confident answers regarding the boiling point of water and the spelling of the word “accommodate.” In addition to the engaging contests, Kim recalled an especially memorable part of the night when one of the emcees, sophomore Alexa Cross, brought a group of young dancers onstage, where they surprised the audience with an impressive, simultaneous flip. 

Music enthusiast and sophomore Nar Ucar, who played the piano for the MP3 Club, explained her eagerness regarding the idea to participate in the show: “I love music, and when I was asked to play keyboard, I kind of jumped at the opportunity.” She added that despite the quick turnaround time, the rehearsals helped the group feel confident onstage. 

Having performed in the show during her freshman and sophomore years, senior Chesle Bae returned in a duet with fellow senior Ishaan Allen, presenting an acoustic take of the Tyler Childers song All Your’n during the senior spotlight. Bae commented that their performance came together after the two began playing in the music building one day and later decided to turn it into a piece for this year’s Friday Night Live event. 

To conclude the show, participating seniors gathered onstage for a final bow, marking the end of their last performance at LGHS and also another successful Friday Night Live.