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Fall 2020 · Torch: U.S. ·THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
ENTERTAINMENT!
ENTERTAINMENT
THAT'S
A particularly unique challenge with this year’s That’s Entertainment! was figuring out how exactly to transform the entirety of the event—not only the performances themselves but the intimately cozy vibe and the sense of camaraderie between the JCL community as well—into a virtual format. With this in mind, the SCL fashioned this year’s That’s Entertainment! into a prerecorded compilation of acts that was live-streamed on YouTube, hosted by SCLers Alex and Chris. Paired with the live stream was a chat, ever-popular during the other social events of virtual convention, that allowed JCLers to maintain a sense of community even though they were physically apart.
It was thus on a quiet evening that JCLers across the country tuned into YouTube to watch this year’s That’s Entertainment! Alex Chou of Massachusetts got the show on the road with his wistful rendition of Imagine by John Lennon. Besides his wonderful vocal and piano talents, what was especially striking was how relevant Imagine’s call for unity and peace was in our disjointed, chaotic world of today. Continuing the pensive mood, Irene Calderon of Ohio next shared her original choir composition, Selene and Endymion. Inspired by Greek mythology, the piece dovetailed the calm brought by the stillness of the night with the sorrow that Selene felt at the prospect of Endymion being forever unaware of her love.
From the comforts of his home in Illinois, the talented Dashiell Cloud sang Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, which stirred the hearts of JCLers yearning for the personal connections that only an in-person convention could bring. Alexandra Sheldon of Ohio then danced to the hit song Pompeii by Bastille, demonstrating her impressive flexibility and gymnastic prowess. Afterward, Kiesse Nanor of New Hampshire blew JCLers away with her lively and powerful performance of Piano Sonata 2 in G minor, Op. 22 by Robert Schumann. Anne Gregg then debuted her original composition, With Love, Eurydice, with clever editing that made it seem as if she was teleporting on her back porch in Indiana. Next, coming to JCLers from North Carolina, JP Hernandez dramatically played Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001 on the violin. Following that, Norie Yowell of Indiana serenaded the audience with her soulful performance of When She Loved Me, by Sarah McLaughlin. With a classy black and white filter, Hannah Dodson of Texas then charmed JCLers with her accompaniment to The Dandy Warhols’s We Used to be Friends on a drum set.
Ethan Robertson of Virginia played a seemingly harmless Waltz in C# Major on the piano, before abruptly throwing his sheet music onto the floor and gifting the entirety of the National Junior Classical League with a surprisingly beautiful rendition of Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. After JCLers finished emotionally processing the fact that they had just been Rickrolled en masse, Lucy Dasher of Virginia sang a charming and peppy cover of Riptide by Vance Joy, accompanying herself on the ukulele. Andrew Luke then got into the groove with a guitar cover of Post Malone’s Circles, relaxing on a couch in his New Hampshire home. Next, Caroline Stephens of Virginia played a melancholy rendition of Hadestown Medley, an arrangement of the hit Broadway musical by Freya Catherine, singing while on the piano and ukulele (that’s three instruments at once!). Eric Yao of Georgia enthralled JCLers with his dazzling magic act, which was the first time in ten years a magic act has appeared on That’s Entertainment! Rounding out the evening was Massachusetts’s very own Dante Minutillo, captivating the audience with his fantastic rendition of Coventry Carol (Tango) by Russell Ronnebaum. The final act was Varun Mukund of Texas’s brisk rendition of Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, “Summer” (L’estate), Presto in G minor on the violin.
Interspersed between every two acts were skits acted by none other than the members of the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and indispensable NSCL. From TikTok battles and cake conspiracy theories to the 2019-2020 NJCL Officers’ D+D challenge and the fan-favorite Racketeers (among others), these skits gave belly laughs to all and were definitely highlights of the evening.
Thank you to all involved in making this year’s unforgettable, first-ever virtual That’s Entertainment!—all performers, SCLers, and devoted fans!
Irene Calderon, NJCL Editor 2020-2021