For the second year in a row, Saint Mary's will host an evening dedicated to showing off students' talent, passion and creativity.
The Apollo Style Talent Showcase, a variety show where students can demonstrate their skills in a multitude of ways, will be held Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at Saint Mary's College. The evening is co-sponsored by Saint Mary's student club Sisters of Nefertiti and Indiana University-South Bend's Black Student Union in celebration of African American History Month.
Saint Mary's senior London Lamar, president of Sisters of Nefertiti, said the night has historical roots.
"Apollo night is a talent showcase inspired by the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York, where students can showcase their talent and the audience helps choose the winner," she said.
According to the Apollo Theatre's website, Amateur Night has attracted novice poets, comedians, singers and dancers for over 75 years. Former performers include successes such as Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
"It's really fun and interactive," she said. "We chose to have Apollo Night to celebrate black cultural arts for Black History Month."
Prizes such as Dr. Dre headphones and an Amazon Kindle will be awarded to the best performer. The audience will determine the winner of the talent show.
After each performance, the audience will either cheer or boo the student off stage to help decide the best talent. As one of the event's masters of ceremonies, Lamar said she is eager to see the audience and performers interact.
"I'm really excited for the events and it is sure to be a good time," she said. "I hope students take away an appreciation of the arts and talent."
In order to prep for the event, Lamar and the other judges of the event held auditions to ensure the acts were appropriate. Lamar said one noteworthy aspect of this year's show is the number of Indiana University-South Bend students competing.
"The auditions went really well," she said. "We have a lot of acts from IUSB we are really excited about."
Audience members will also have a chance to win prizes from Family Video, Best Buy and Strikes and Spares. The Apollo Style Talent Showcase is Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Carroll Auditorium of Madeleva Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
Contact Bridget Feeney at bfeene01@saintmarys.edu
