Hairspray mock, Murillo’s dance ‘Single Sock’ take top honors at Mock Rock
The students who mock rocked the musical Hairspray took the gold at the annual performance and talent show. Photo by Morgan Orgeron
The Hairspray mock rock and Salvador Murillo’s dance “Single Sock” took the gold medals in AHS’s 2019 Mock Rock show, which took place on Apr. 6 in the AHS gym with the theme “Mock Your Socks Off.” The doors opened at 6 pm and the show began at 7 pm. Activities Director Ms. Brard, who organized the event, said, “My favourite part of Mock Rock and Talent Show is seeing students be brave enough to share their incredible talents.”
“Mocks” are choreographed routines in which performers lip-sync and dance to songs, usually from well-known musicals. The show also features a “talent” and a “video production” category. This year’s mocks were “Hairspray” inspired by the movie musical Hairspray, which won first place, “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin” from the movie musical Teen Beach Movie that got second place, and “Mean Girls,” the third place winners, from the movie musical and Broadway musical Mean Girls. The talent acts included “Only Us” performed by Sarah Bachman and Joshua Tarica; “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” sung by Preslee Gerber; Josiah Shibley, who sung his original song, “Young;” “Hallelujah: Shrek version,” sung by Huy Vu; “Sunflower,” by Preslee Gerber, who sang and played guitar; “Anything Goes,” sung by Logan Chadwick; “Single Sock,” a dance by Salvador Murillo; Joshua Tarica sang and played piano on “The Way It Is;” and “Riptide,” by Kylee Down who sang and played the ukulele.
Salvador Murillo won first place in the Talent category with “Single Sock” and got the first place gold record and a $25 gift certificate to El Compadres. Joshua Tarica won second with “The Way It Is” and got the silver record, and Sarah Bachman won third place and got the bronze record for “If I Ain’t Got You.” Bachman said, “I just loved the whole experience of performing in front of a big audience."
The “Hairspray” mock gave an energetic performance and had quality costumes and attitudes. “The fun, upbeat songs and the positive message of the movie inspired me to choose ‘Hairspray’ as our Mock Rock song” said junior Kyle Pericic, who organized the group. “It was incredible winning Mock Rock this year! My group put so much hard work into our performance and they really deserved it.” The second place mock, “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” also put on a lively and fun show. Phoebe Pilg, who organized the group and coordinated their dance, said “I couldn’t be more proud, and I am looking forward to next year!”
The show was considered a big success despite some technical difficulties caused by the poor WiFi in the AHS gym. Ms. Brard said, “There were a couple technical difficulties, but the students handled it so well and overcame the hurdles that were thrown at them.” The music kept stopping. Logan Chadwick’s act had to go twice and so did “Hairspray.”
The show was made possible by sponsors from the community who funded the event and prizes for the winners. This year’s sponsors were El Compadre, Give Fitness, Pedro’s, Galaxy Theatres, The Sign Place, and Yogurt Creations. The judges of the event were: Maddie Toste, an alumni of AHS; Ray Buban of the local Ray M. Buban EA Financial & Tax Services; Trudy Futak, retired Physical Education teacher at AHS; E.J. Rossi, AUSD Assistant Superintendent; and Sholly Von Stein, a locally-known performer and retired AUSD teacher.
Students also play a big role in planning and organizing the event. The Masters of Ceremonies (M.C.s) were Mr. Wilkie and Principal Neely, who did a great job hosting the event and keeping the audience entertained in between acts. Ms. Brard and the AHS ASB Leadership students are responsible for booking the stage and lighting crew (Adept Events), running meetings, organizing paperwork, and more. “We definitely could not do this event without the help of our staff and community as well as the students who participate in the Mock Rocks and Talents, but the students are the ones who take the initial steps to reach out to them and find the help we need. They do a wonderful job!” said Ms. Brard.
The annual performance gives students a chance to show off their talents, as well as their abilities to organize, rehearse, and perform in a group. Ms. Brard added, “Our hope is that Mock Rock and Talent Show benefits students by giving them a chance to shine. We have so many students on campus with skills and talents that would otherwise not be seen. We are so thankful that our AHS students are brave and bold and willing to share with us what they can do! We also hope this event builds a sense of pride in our school and community. By putting on a fun event like Mock Rock and Talent Show we hope students can enjoy being a part of it.”