It was a night of stars when PS 102’s annual talent show, held last Thursday night at the school, featured a red carpet, popcorn, kids dressed up as press, and, of course, a showcase of some of the Bay Ridge school’s best and brightest young talent.
The show’s 80-child cast — drawn from every grade from kindergarten up to fifth — boasted a violinist, a guitarist, a band, several piano players, and a number of singers and dancers. The night built up to a spectacular full-ensemble finale, a rendition of “You Gotta Be,” by British pop and soul singer Des’ree. The performance featured the daughter of deaf parents standing in front, performing the song in American Sign Language, while the other students signed the chorus.
The show was the product of months of practice from the kids, and the efforts of the show’s coordinators — gym coach Daiana Bertolini and special education instructor Roseanne Tubiocid — plus technical coordinator and drama teacher Margerita Famoso.
Bertolini and Tubiocid, who have run the production together for six years, auditioned some 200 students in January, picking kids who hadn’t gotten a chance to perform in the past, and who they thought would lead to a diverse and well-paced show.
To get as many kids as possible into the show, the two teachers placed dancers, singers, and musicians into groups that performed together. According to Tubiocid, creating the troupes created an atmosphere of community and cooperation among the students.
“You have big ones in groups with small ones, and they work together and they make new friends,” Tubiocid said.
Getting in enough of that precious rehearsal time is always the biggest challenge facing the show, Bertolini said.
“Every year it’s challenging to feel they had enough practice. Every year the challenge is timing, making sure the kids had enough time to practice, and get all their parts down right,” said Bertolini.
But the teachers agree that the the final result of all the students’ hard work was magic.
“They had a lot of spirit, and we felt it with the parents as well. We were so proud, the parents were so proud, the kids were so proud, and that’s what makes it a good show,” said Tubiocid.
