Talent show highlights students’ gifts

By Tanya Connor

Colombian siblings portrayed their culture, landing third prize.
Teenage boys were told that, whatever they do with their hair, they don’t have to get another job.
It was the second annual Catholic Schools Have Talent show, held Friday at Holy Name Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in Worcester.
Participants were students from Holy Name and the diocese’s other three central Catholic schools: St. Peter Elementary and St. Peter-Marian Junior/Senior High in Worcester and St. Bernard’s High in Fitchburg. They were finalists in their own schools’ talent shows.
Winners were Sarah Lim, Holy Name, grade 9, first place; Megan Dickie, St. Peter Central, grade 7, second place, and Natalia and Diego Rozo, St. Peter Central, grades 4 and 5, third place.
Robert Pape, chairman of the Adopt-A-Student Steering Committee, which sponsored the event, gave winners prizes and all participants earned gift certificates.
Judges, who took turns commenting on performances, were Mary Knight of 104.5 FM WXLO, Hank Stolz of The Hank Stolz Experience on Charter TV 3 and WCRN 830 AM, and Cindy Dorsey of 1230 AM Emmanuel Radio. Dale LePage, of WooTube on Charter TV 3, was emcee.
Mr. Pape said the show raised more than $3,000 for tuition assistance.
Simon Ra, last year’s first place winner, started the show setting the bar really high, Ms. Knight said, noting that the St. Peter-Marian senior didn’t use sheet music when playing “Cannon in D and Chopsticks Medley” on the piano.
“What I absolutely loved about this – Simon sets the bar high and then the two of you come out and absolutely kill it,” Mr. Stolz, told the Rozo siblings, who got loud cheers even before dancing to “Juliana.”
“It was a big surprise,” their father, John Rozo, said afterwards. “They were looking to do something together as a brother and sister.”
He said he and his wife, Elaine Rozo, asked, “What about something that represents your culture?” (They’re Colombian.) The parents danced the Salsa then taught them how to do it, he said.
“You never stopped smiling,” Mrs. Dorsey told Holy Name senior Dan Reidy, who played “Let Me Love You” on the guitar. “You made me smile. Student, athlete, musician: you got the whole world ahead of you, Pal.”
Ms. Knight told St. Peter-Marian seniors Lim Hyungue and Drew Osik their rendition of “Title Screen of the Ocarina of Time” was “hauntingly beautiful,” and transported her to another world. Drew said he learned about the ocarina he played through a legend. Lim accompanied him on the piano and thanked his host family and Korean supporters. The international student from South Korea is spending his four years of high school here.
For professionals, the show must go on when something goes wrong, Mrs. Dorsey told “4 on the Floor” from St. Bernard’s, who played “Get a Haircut” with electric guitars and percussion instruments.  David Mansfield explained that he, Nicholas Nelson and Gray Milkowski were to be joined by Brendan Kelley, who had a concussion, but is OK.
“I’m going to call you Miss Personality,” Ms. Knight told fourth-grader Rachel DeLapara, saying she was obviously having fun dancing to “Strongest Suit” and praising her techniques.
“I loved the look,” Mr. Stolz told St. Peter-Marian senior Dianna Johnson, clad in hat and boots as she played “Roar” on the guitar. “The thing about the look – it sets up certain expectations. … You delivered.”
“You did a beautiful, beautiful job,” Mrs. Dorsey told St. Peter Central seventh-grader Walker Dauphin, who played “The River” on the piano. “You came out dressed as a professional, looking very, very handsome. … You carried me through a range of emotion.” She said he must have a piano teacher, in addition to God-given talent.
“Whoa; I feel that I just witnessed something incredible,” Mr. Stolz told first-place winner Sarah Lim after she played “Chopin Etude Op.10, No. 4” on the piano. “I felt that I was sitting in Symphony Hall.”
“Thank you for coming,” Sarah, an international student from South Korea, told listeners. “Thank you for my host family.”
“A star is born,” Mrs. Dorsey said after second-place winner Megan Dickie finished singing, “I Could Have Danced All Night.”
“I had a great time and I want to thank my mom, Jane Shivick” – a great mother and voice teacher – Megan told The Catholic Free Press.

See the "Talent Show" photo gallery for more photos!