On Friday, Dec. 8, the McLean Theatre Department put on their second “No Shame” Variety Show for the 2017-18 school year (the first one can be read about here).

The show is for anyone with a unique talent, or who just want to perform in front of their peers without fear of embarrassment or judgment. The Variety Show first started in 2012 and has operated on a quarterly basis ever since.

On this occasion, the show included nine performances varying from original songs, to covers of famous songs, to skits and sketches. It was hosted by The Highlanders’ very own, Haley Rose, whose banter in between acts ensured there was no dull moment during the hour-long segment in the Black Box Theater.

Musical performances included a beautiful cover of “A Way Back to Then” from the musical [title of show], a wonderful two-part performance of original songs “True Love” and “Somewhere to go” by Eli Wassertzug,  an outstanding cover of the timeless “Hallelujah” by Devin English, and a humorous song by rapper Several Chains about their disdain for the hot chocolate brand Swiss Miss.

As for the non-musical performances, Julia Luigs performed a sketch that included dancing around a plate of cheese and crackers and two ladies with mannequin heads in matching Christmas outfits dancing to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” One of the most popular performances of the night was a recurring skit known as “ICS – Continuation” which featured the set-up for an epic showdown between the forces of black and white.

Despite all the great performances, the night belonged to Alejandro Galdo who performed a flawless rendition of Chopin’s “Grande Polonaise brillante”, Op. 22, immortalized by Adrien Brody’s performance in The Pianist.

Be sure to check out Theatre McLean’s website here for updates concerning the next edition of the “No Shame” Variety Show coming sometime during the 3rd Quarter.