Written by DeLana Wooldridge | July 15, 2026
Due to the volume of performances in this showcase, scholars who already performed were not featured, along with scholars who participated multiple times during the second showcase. We appreciate and recognize the effort that these performers dedicated to perfecting their acts and apologize about the inconvenience. Each act was incredibly moving, and this was a difficult decision to make. We hope scholars understand!
On Friday, July 3rd, Johnson Theater came to life once again! The night was jam packed with 25 acts ranging from funny skits to emotional vocal ballads. The show opened with a gorgeous vocal performance by Maggie Gerhard. She did a wonderful job portraying the heartfelt message of Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors.” In the spirit of the 4th of July, there were many patriotic acts, including “Travelin’ Soldier” sung by Clara Reynolds and Bella Dykes, as well as a piano performance of “America the Beautiful” by Wyatt Cox.
In addition to emotional ballads, two groups decided to incorporate some comedy and dancing into their performances. The Political and Legal Issues (PLI) group and their friends danced and sang to “I Want It That Way” while dressed as fraternity boys. Additionally, Olivia Vaughan and her friends decided to portray their own take on fraternity in their sketch comedy act titled, “Solos and Polos.” Both acts were extremely funny and entertaining to watch. The fraternity boys were not the only ones with impressive moves. Jacob Masterson’s tap dance to Micheal Buble’s “Orange Colored Sky” had the audience in shock. His fast movements and rhythmic timing were impressive and eye catching.
Some memorable vocal performances included “Magic” by Kate Jarboe. As she rapped, the audience joined in to clap along. Ainjini Patra sang “Sau Aasmaan,” and invited the audience to clap along. Ashwin Vinuchakravarthy also had some impressive vocals when he sang John Legend’s “All of Me.” Max Canlas’ take on “Copa Cabana” was definitely a hit. His strong voice, lively dancing, and stage presence got the audience laughing, clapping, and swaying to the beat. Grace Wilson performed an inspiring sign language interpretation of “Dusty Bibles.” Her act was a powerful reminder of the beauty of communication.
There was also wonderful instrumental talent showcased throughout the night. Bridget Butler played “The Swan” on her cello, demonstrating her musical prowess. Additionally, Brady Slone performed “Hindman” while playing his guitar and singing along. The last scholar act of the night was Austin Arnold playing “Country Roads” on the banjo. The act was a lovely way to end the night, singing together as one voice and one community.
The 2nd showcase came to an end with the usual Resident Advisor (RA) weekly recap skit. This week’s recap included the GSP Olympics, exploring uncharted territory during the first extended perimeter, intense Mao games, and a new segment: GSParanormal. This week’s skit once again brought many laughs from the audience. Each act was a wonderful display of the talent here at GSP Murray. With the second showcase over, the air is full of whispers and discussion of what the next showcase will bring. Johnson Theater is quiet for now, but will soon be buzzing once again ready to welcome the outstanding acts of week three.
Performances In Order:
“Coat of Many Colors”- Maggie Gerhard
“Everybody Scream”- Helena Smith-Pohl
“Courtesy of the Red White & Blue”- Gavin Robertson
“Hindman”- Brady Slone
“Dragonaut”- Seth Dotson
“I Want It That Way”- Political and Legal Issues (PLI) and Friends
“Travelin Soldier”- Clara Reynolds and Bella Dykes
“Solos and Polos”- Olivia Vaughan and Friends
“She Used to Be Mine”- Kenneth Lanham
“America the Beautiful- Wyatt Cox
“Happy/Sad”- John Fanshier
“Orange Colored Sky”- Jacob Masterson
“All of Me”- Ashwin Vinuchakravarthy
“Nessun Dorma”- Daniel Smith
“Danny Boy”- Kelby Kenimer
“A Thousand Years”- Trista Gilbert
“Magic”- Kate Jarboe
“Love in the Dark”- Clara Reynolds
“The Swan”- Bridget Butler
“It’s Over Isn’t It?”- A’Niyah Wilford
“Dusty Bibles”- Grace Wilson
“Sau Aasmaan”- Ainjini Patra
“Every Day”- Will Fisher
“Copa Cabana”- Max Canlas
“Country Roads”- Austin Arnold
Tech Crew: Stage Manager: Helena Smith-Pohl, Clara Daniels, Michael Eades, Eli Hoffman, Heidi Lechleiter, Anneliese McCray, Kaleigh Neel, Matt Zoglman
Tech Advisor Staff: Jay Crocker and Hayden Osborne
