I can’t be mad at anyone that had the bravery to get up on stage and perform in Lion’s Follies. I could never, and I will forever respect people that can. However, it’s hard to disagree that year after year, Lions’ Follies is a little chaotic.
This year’s talent show began with a pseudo-reality show video featuring the emcees, seniors Will Rohs, Sophie Lisle, and Dylan Hoover. I thought it was pretty funny, and set my expectations high for the rest of the show.
In fact, I think the emcees did great this year. They really played into the reality TV show vibe, and all had great chemistry together. The jokes generally landed and the segways into each act were interesting. The issue? I couldn’t hear them 90% of the time, because the sound system was never turned high enough.
The microphones frequently cut in and out, and even when they were working, they were too quiet. I really wish I was able to hear all the singing and acting, but it was difficult.
Act I featured four singing acts, and they were all fine. It takes guts to sing in front of so many people. I’ve seen senior Andrea Rojas sing every year in the talent show since we went to middle school together, so seeing how she’s grown makes me happy.
Junior Audrey Thomson and sophomore Kayt Cornellison’s contemporary dance was good but got cut short when the music just stopped. They had to awkwardly walk off stage, and we were never able to see them finish their routine. Sound problems seem to be a theme of Lion’s Follies.
The 8th-grade, freshman, and sophomore skits were only worth a chuckle. I don’t understand the thought process behind how they write these skits, because they don’t really have a punchline or a twist.
I could probably find more criticism about these skits, but I really don’t have a problem with them. Student council kids are not professional actors, and every underclassman skit I have ever watched has been mediocre. It’s a staple of Lion’s Follies, and everyone up there did the best they could.
My favorite performance in Act I was the three emcee’s dance and lip sync to Britney Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again”. Besides being a great song, I was impressed by how coordinated Sophie, Dylan, and Will’s dancing was. It was a lot of fun to watch.
Act II started with “Unseen”, a scary short film directed by junior Owen McGough. I hadn’t seen any of his work before, and I was very impressed by the quality of it. I was on the edge of my seat for all of it, and the twist at the end was great. I highly recommend seeing it if you haven’t already.
The junior class skit was pretty unique. It featured a re-enactment of various crazy things that go on in the LHS bathrooms, narrated by someone with a really good Spongebob narrator voice. I can testify to the fact that the bathrooms this year are a hotbed of the weirdest activities, so I thought this was a good homage to that.
Senior Joy Conway’s dance was impressive with so many different props, and junior Eliza Neff put on a beautiful rendition of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Enough for You” with her acoustic guitar.
The senior class skit didn’t defy any expectations; it was yet another year of parodying the teachers. This year, the teachers represented the kids and their parents on “Dance Moms”, while Ms. Benton (played by Dylan Hoover) represented Abby Lee.
It was fine. Some of the jokes landed, some of them didn’t. Some people forgot their lines, some people didn’t. It was fun, but not the best senior skit I’ve ever seen.
Like every year, Lion’s Follies ends with the most energizing act of all, a band performance. This year, it was Major Motion Picture, playing “R U Mine” by the Arctic Monkeys and “Buddy Holly” by Weezer, along with “Slugger”, an original song. As expected, they didn’t disappoint.
And that was it. Way shorter than I expected. I was hoping for some more instrumental or singing acts, but there were only three, padded by countless repetitive and confusing sketches. Am I glad I went? Sure. Was it worth $10? Probably not, but I’m all for supporting LHS performing arts.