14 Thursday, February 26, 2015
Coastal View News • Carpinteria, California
Rotary showcase never fails to impress By Mark Brickley
Parents, friends and music lovers packed Plaza Playhouse Theater to the gills on the evening of Feb. 21 to watch 21 riveting acts take the stage for the Rotary Talent Showcase community fundraiser. The evening’s superb artists left the audience with a collective sense of wonder. Devyn Clayton, 8, sang with the confidence and vocal agility of someone twice her age. Her guitar was almost as big as she was! Grace Xinia Johnson echoed pop siren Stevie Nicks, and Claire Bengry’s rich clarinet solo was perfectly played. The six-member (9 to 12 year olds) Studio B Dance Company’s hip hop routine
was intricate, inspired and cool. Alitza Gonzalez nailed Etta James’ torch song “At Last.” Under the direction of music teacher Tom Pavia, 37 members of the Carpinteria Middle School Band filled the stage, playing buoyant surf songs. The show’s teen performers were astounding. Xenia Flores’ sunlit voice and beautiful smile accompanied her memorable original “Make Me Wanna Sing.” Studio B’s Jazz duet, Jayme Deneault and Jody Ballard, danced in splendid symmetry. Talented pianist Camila Lemere and fluid guitarist Sarina Wasserman transported us with separate pitch-perfect,
Devyn clayton, an
8-year-old aliso School student, performs “Pure imagination” from “Willy Wonka and the chocolate Factory.”
polished vocals. Innovative vocalist/guitarist Jamey Geston delivered Peggy Lee’s 1956 hit “Fever.” It sizzled. Classical pianist Thomas Everest performed Beethoven’s demanding “Moonlight Sonata” by memory! Guitarist/singer Sophia Rose Wilcox and violinist Daryanna Lancet beautifully re-imagined Elton John’s “Your Song.” Cate School students Gabreilla Teodoro and Iyer Aparna sang Taylor Swift’s ballad “Safe and Sound” in perfect ascending harmony. Wyatt Dale’s show-closing “wow” rendition of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” rocked. The showcase also featured half-adozen talented adult artists and seasoned professionals. Carl Ray Villaverde, Martin Osborn and Tod Matz (aka Carl and the Coconuts) opened the show playing their upbeat ukulele song “Hawaiian Superman.” Singing as the best of friends, Toby
Theule and Ceylon Horton delightfully reprised Irving Berlin’s song “Sisters.” Ninety-five year old vaudeville entertainer/harmonica player Lyman Barrett sang two classic tunes from the 1920s. Dressed in an ornate gown, multidimensional Carpinteria artist Sang Nevins transformed the theater playing the South Korean (Ga-ya-geum) harp. Accompanied by pianist Seungah Seo, violinist John Zemjanis performed “Salut ‘d Amour,” which was composed by Edward Elgar in 1888 as an engagement present to his bride-to-be. Professional comedian Jason Love drove in from a gig in San Francisco to tell his funny stories and witty G-rated jokes. Master of Ceremonies John Palminteri cracked one-liners and flashed his 200-watt smile as showcase director “Doc” Roland Rotz readied acts backstage. It was quite a night!
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ROBIN KARLSSON
DAVID POWDRELL
Peter Bie, Plaza Playhouse Theater board member, shares a laugh onstage with Master of ceremonies John Palminteri.
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DAVID POWDRELL
event director roland rotz relishes the results of the many hours he put in to creating another flawless event.
ROBIN KARLSSON
Sang Nevins, whose myriad talents have graced the event year after year, showcases her skills on the Ga-ya-geum, a korean harp.
Mayra ramirez joined the rest of the carpinteria Middle School band in performing a medley of beach tunes in honor of the city of carpinteria’s 50th anniversary. The carpinteria rotary charitable Foundation board has committed 85 percent of the Talent Show proceeds to the purchase of instruments for local students.
DAVID PO
John Zemjanis once again proves that arts and scien do mix. The local family physician made his violin sing “S d’amour” by edward elgar.
DAVID POWDRELL
Grace Xinia Johnson, 11, casts her sweet smile on the audience after trilling “landslide” by Stevie Nicks. DAVID POWDRELL