ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—On Feb. 27, Englewood’s Got Talent provided a spectacular showcase featuring performers of all ages. It was a three-hour panorama of talent provided by people who live, work, or study in Englewood.
Under the direction of Judy Aronson, the show was a fundraiser for the Dr. John Grieco Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by students from Dwight Morrow High School and the Academies at Englewood committed to awarding academic scholarships to their peers.
The Grieco Scholarship Fund has raised and awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships to more than 300 Englewood public school students in its 15 years of existence.
In past years, another premier event produced by Aronson, “Englewood Idol,” also supported the scholarship fund.
“Englewood’s Got Talent” is just as popular and even broader in scope. Performers ranged from singers, musicians, dancers, beat boxers, songwriters, rappers, and video makers.
“This show is very different from Englewood Idol,” Aronson said. “It isn’t a competition, it is just a variety show so people can see the many talented people that we have in this community. It’s amazing to see how many people continue to develop their talents just for their own personal fulfillment. I’m glad we can give them this opportunity to show their hometown what they can do, and to do it on a hometown stage like bergenPAC.”
A new and exciting element in this year’s extravaganza was a delicious cupcake competition. Thirty-four amateur bakers each submitted two dozen of their best cupcakes for audience members to taste during the show’s intermissions. In the final leg of the competition, six audience members were called to the stage and asked to select the best of the final three cupcakes that had been voted on by audience texts.
Famed “Cupcake Wars” judge Florian Bellanger assisted in the final bake-off judging.
“I look for taste, sweetness, texture and presentation,” he said.
The first place winner, Hussiam Qurbanzada, won over Bellanger with his unique Afghani cupcake. Bellanger presented him with a trophy and a certificate for an all-expenses-paid celebrity excursion to New York City for a private baking class with him.
“Englewood’s Got Talent” provided 32 acts divided into three segments. The evening began with an introduction by Mayor Michael Wildes.
“We don’t know if we have the next Brooke Shields or John Travolta here in this beautiful city. But we do know that everyone has talent,” said Wildes, nodding to two famous actors with ties to Engelwood. “The greatest resource we have is our teachers, our police and our firemen. I am humbled by the talent that we see here, and by the leadership that we see in the school system and the city government.”
At 7:30 p.m., the show got off to a roaring start with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a lively and humorous song and dance routine lip synced by a group of Dwight Morrow and Academies at Englewood teachers.
Next came a succession of young performers, including 6-year-old Mia Rose Miller, who sang “This Girls is on Fire,” with dynamic flair.
“I like showing that I can sing,” Miller said afterwards. “And I like that other people can show what they do, too.”
Temple Goldson, a 9-year-old fourth year honor roll student at McCloud Elementary School, also possessed impressive poise and vocal expertise as she sang “Halo” by Beyonce.
Several of the performers had competed in “Englewood Idol,” such as Goldson, Genesis Capellan (last year’s “Englewood Idol” first-place winner) and Patricia Parker (an Idol finalist), Joey Liberti, Jandel Rodriguez and Mya Rodriguez.
Another experienced standout was Amelia Lowe, who gained fame for placing in the top 20 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” Season 9, and performed in the show’s cross country tour.
Other professionals in the show included Rory D’Lasnow, a singer/songwriter and frontman of New Jersey alternative rock band Black Rose Revival.
The evening included many homages, such as Victor Pervushkin, dressed head-to-toe like Michael Jackson, dancing to “Billie Jean,” and Jandel Rodriguez belting out Elton John’s hit, “I’m Still Standing.”
The audience got revved up by Cold-Hearted Percussion and enjoyed a scene from “Into the Woods.”
Not to be outdone by the young performers, several school teachers took to the stage as well. Besides the DMAE teachers, the Masked Singers (sisters Arlene and Mariette Ng, principal of Quarles School and supervisor of the Academies at Englewood respectively, sang “Stand by Me” by Prince Royce. (Fun fact: the 1961 “Stand by Me” was co-written and performed by the late Ben E. King, who was a longtime resident of neighboring Teaneck.)
Amongst the dance groups who graced the stage in glittery costumes and ballet attire were the pre-pro dance ensemble and the pre-teen dance ensembles from the Performing Arts School at bergenPAC, directed by roberta mathes, and the McCloud School Fifth Grade Dance Troupe, directed by Pam Humphrey.
mathes, artistic director of Beyond Dance at the Performing Arts School, was extremely proud of her dance students.
“We are always happy to give our ensemble dancers the opportunity to perform in outreach programs,” said mathes. “Tonight’s advanced preteen and teen dancers all wish to become professional dancers, choreographers or performing artists. Several have worked professionally already. It is always a great opportunity to let them shine and share their talent at such local events!”
The students themselves were also elated at the enjoyment of being part of “Englewood’s Got Talent,” from the teenagers who sold T-shirts in the lobby to the behind-the-scenes workers.
Technical Director Alex Ha, an 11th grader at Academies at Englewood, said, “Working on ‘Englewood’s Got Talent’ was a new and fun experience for me. Sure, there was a lot of work to do, but seeing my work slowly build up and come together, along with everyone else’s work was fulfilling. To see all the performers, club members, and other people work together to make this happen was just amazing. I had a lot of fun working on this project and learned a lot in the process.”
Another crew member, Christopher Lee, who served as the show’s director of operations, also an 11th grader in the Academies at Englewood, added, “Working in Englewood’s Got Talent was a new challenge for me. I learned a lot about the sales, sponsorships, and negotiations that go into producing a show of this scale. It also made me closer with the students I worked with.”