I had the opportunity to see Hoffman Estates High School SOAR at this year’s Variety Show.

Producing this show takes an effort on the part of students and staff. From September 20-22, Directors Jason Stevens, English, Erika Bromley, English, Juan Medina, art, and Christina Ordonez, technology office, worked to encourage students to  remove their masks and show off their talents to the community.

As I sat on the right side of the auditorium, I saw the simplicity of the stage because it was meant to let the students shine when they perform. The tech Crew did their very best to make sure everything was all set for the shows.

“We (Tech Crew) felt really accomplished knowing that people could see so many talents in one cohesive show,” said Jamie Rae Cuartero, senior. “[The audience] enjoyed what we put together.” 

Let’s not forget the eleven individuals who made the night complete by providing skits to keep the audience wanting for more, the Comedy Troupe. There did not seem to be any favorite jokes because the crowd was laughing throughout all of the skits. The “I don’t feel so good” joke and the “vine re-make” skit were just a couple of the memorable ones. 

“I most definitely enjoyed the “Drake Car (In My Feelings) skit and the “Fortnite Dance Off,” said Kira Weiland, Comedy Troupe player.

“It was the first time I’ve ever acted on stage, and it was a step outside of my comfort zone,” said Michael Calibugar.

So, what really is special about the Variety show? Is it how drumline played “In My Feelings” through their drums and mallets? Is it how four Skyhawkettes performed a small snipet of their Michael Jackson routine? Or is it the way Esmeralda Gutierrez played to a song with her violin?

Singing filled the auditorium. Grace Corwine and Andrew Luzwick sang a musical piece and tap-danced their way through it.  Kira Weiland covered a Beatles song. Kate Mongold made the audience sing along with her “Ain’t No Mountain High” song. Olivia Martin sang an old Miley Cyrus song and Michael Calibugar dedicated his song to all the mothers.

And then there was dance. Devante Bradford danced to a popular Drake song. Bryson Williams and Ambree Dawson incorporated sabers in their Black Widow performance and Khushi Patel danced to an ethnically-inspired song.

The music also took center stage. Taveon Stepney created her own original piece and performed it. Grace Anstiss performed Give Me Love through her guitar and accompanied Matthew Agsalud, Erik Galu, Rogelio Arroyo, and Omar Sanceda in their cover of Treat You Better.

Yes, reading the last three paragraphs are repetitive because there really isn’t a word to describe what I witnessed. It’s a bunch of people treating each other like family, bonding together as they supported each other. The performers represented Hoffman, a diverse school filled with talent.

“It features a wide variety of talents, ages freshman-senior. They all work together and support each other. They just have fun,” said Bromley.

“It really represents the attitude and culture of Hoffman (SOAR) that we look for. Owning actions, supporting each other, and respecting each other,” Stevens added.

The Variety Show did present a lot of talents; however, Bromley and Stevens, working together 16 years to host this show, do have to work through challenges as well.

“The difficulty lies in getting the kids to know about [the V Show]. There are so many great things happening in the school, and they don’t know every single thing happening,” said Bromley.

Besides the challenge of advertising the show, there can be difficulty organizing the show. “One of the hardest parts is cutting people because not everyone can be in the show. It can’t be a 5-hour show,” said Bromley.

“We have to keep it to between an hour and an hour and a half. It’s very difficult, but we get a great show every year, and it’s a lot of fun,” Stevens added.