Co-written by Madison Foley and Andrea Tyson

On Friday, Nov. 30, our Apex High School DECA chapter put on a Teacher Talent Show to raise money for Meg’s Smile Foundation. The event was a huge success, raising $550 for the cause, and the show itself was packed with fun, humor, and of course lots of talent! Dr. Kearney hosted the show and kept the audience laughing with her comedic narrations throughout the night. It was so wonderful to see her back at the Peak! The judges of the night were Señora Clark, Señora Hatch, and surprise judge, Mr. House! They had the incredibly difficult task of selecting one winner out of the seven impressive and very original acts performed. If you missed the show, here’s a recap of each act:

Mr. Hayes

Little did we know, our career development coordinator was a singer! Mr. Hayes shocked the crowd with his solo rendition of “The Way It Is.” Along with his guitar, Mr. Hayes dominated the stage with a cool and collected stage presence. Though the singing was great, the thing that really set off this performance was the outfit. The cowboy boots were a crowd favorite, Dr. Kearney appreciated them, and the judges fell in love. The combination of the outfit, passionate singing, and skillful guitar playing won Mr. Hayes the first place title! Congrats!

Ms. Sudkamp

Ms. Sudkamp was able to bring a performance unlike any of the other acts the audience saw last Friday. When her cart of paint and brushes was rolled out onto the stage, we did not know what to expect. When the dramatic music began to fill the auditorium, Ms. Sudkamp began to frantically paint. In the beginning we did not know what was going on, but towards the climax of the song, the attendees had figured out the face of the portrait was a photo of Dr. Kearney; however, the surprises did not end there. When the playback of the song was done, the cardboard canvas was removed to reveal a painting of a beautiful city. The judges were impressed by the element of surprise that was involved in this act, not to mention, Dr. Kearney went home with a present for her husband!

Mr. Jarvis

There was no other act on Friday where a teacher was able to maintain their composure as well as Mr. Jarvis. As soon as he stepped on stage, we knew who he was impersonating. He remained true to character before, during, and after his act. All the students were extremely amused by this unique side of Mr. Jarvis–we surely had not seen it before! It was his dedication to the role and musical ability that landed Mr. Jarvis the second place title. Great job!

Mr. Summers

Mr. Summers kicked off the second half of the show with his ukulele, singing and playing “White Christmas.” Understandably, he was a little bit nervous, but once he got going, he lit up the stage and performed incredibly well. He had great stage presence and even sang a verse in Spanish! The performance was festive, fun, and both the judges and audience thoroughly enjoyed it!  

Ms. Mann and Mr. O

This dynamic duo, who Dr. Kearney named “O-Mann,” performed an energetic routine to “Eat It” by Weird Al, and they had everyone in the auditorium laughing. They dressed up in inflatable chef costumes and had a dance battle with each other while eating marshmallows and chocolate pudding! They even threw candy to the audience and, yes, broke the rules of no food in the auditorium. They won the hearts, or maybe the stomachs, of the audience, though, because at the end of the night they won the student’s choice award!

Coach Moog

Coach Moog returned to Apex just for the show, and his talent was quite interesting. He did an interpretive dance with streamers while dressed as a pirate in a tutu. Needless to say, he brought the audience to tears of laughter.

Ms. Copley and Mr. Gurkin

Ms. Copley and Mr. Gurkin blew everyone away with their outstanding voices, singing “For Good” from Wicked. The duet was heartfelt, touching, emotional, and absolutely beautiful. Dr. Kearney nicknamed them “Peanut Butter and Jelly” saying “They don’t really go together when you first look at them. You’re like ‘How did they end up together?’ But then when it gets together, and you take a bite of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, if it’s on fresh bread, you’ll realize that that peanut butter and jelly, this duo, really does work!” Everyone seemed to be mesmerized by the performance, and the judges awarded the duo with third place!

It was a night full of laughter, excitement, and surprise, and definitely one to remember. There probably aren’t many schools where teachers would volunteer their time on a Friday night to participate in a talent show, or where the former principal would come back to host the show, so Apex truly is the Peak of the Peak. A huge thank you to all the staff and students who participated in or ran the show for making such a spectacular event possible!