Talented students at Newsome High School participated in Newsome’s Got Talent, an annual fundraising event benefitting its choral program. Up for grabs was a cash prize and the title of ‘Newsome’s Best Talent.’
The $5 entry ticket allowed audience members to cast two votes for their favorite act. Additional votes could be purchased for $1 each.
Six acts competed in the first round of the performance, and after the audience voted, the top three competed in the final round. Those artists were: duet Ana Bingham and Hope Banks, male singing group The Backyard Boys and soloist Christian Reggi.
Bingham and Banks wowed the audience by performing two original songs, “Witness It” and “Figure It Out,” and playing the piano and guitar. The songs poignantly reflected on their experiences in high school. The Backyard Boys, a boy band that wooed the crowd with their vocal ability, dance moves and playful interactions with fans.
Reggi, a sophomore and the last performance in the finals, walked onstage donned in skintight jeans and a white tank top with a studded arm band and belt. From his first notes, “Ay-oh!”, Reggi had the crowd in the auditorium eating out of the palm of his hand as he performed Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” singing and playing the piano in a very Freddie Mercury-esque way, earning him a standing ovation from the audience.
“I was standing backstage with the other finalists while he was performing and we all just said coming in second or third behind Reggi wasn’t such a bad thing,” joked Bingham. “We knew he was going to win.”
When the show was over, audience members raced to cast their votes for their favorite act. When the emcee announced Reggi as the winner, the crowd applauded heartily.
“It was really just a big happy family moment because everyone who sang onstage celebrated as a group,” he said. “We were all just proud of our performances.”
To nail his impersonation of Mercury, Reggi said he watched his performance at Live Aid a lot.
“I was practicing nonstop until I got it right,” he said.
Reggi placed second in the competition last year, playing the piano and harmonica and singing Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” He was beat out by senior Josh Burgess, the competition’s emcee.
As this year’s winner, Reggi cannot compete in next year’s competition. Instead, he will act as its emcee.
For more information about Newsome Chorus, visit www.hillsboroughschools.org/newsome.
