By Riley Young | July 22, 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 17th, Scholars eagerly filed into the Johnson Theatre for the final Showcase of GSP. This evening, 53 acts performed, and scholars were captivated by a variety of humorous, musical, poetic, and moving performances for four hours. Despite the time commitment, scholars were eager to see what their peers would leave them with at the last show.
The night was filled with a number of fantastic instrumental performances, including Will Fisher’s impressive performance on the electric guitar. Here, he showcased his technical skill in a seven-minute long performance of “Four Horsemen.” Anne Beck also showed off her aptitude for the flute in her beautiful rendition of “Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise.”
There were many other amazing vocal and instrumental performances throughout the night. Paige Childress and Liam Goodwin’s rendition of “We’re Going to Be Friends” warmed audiences’ hearts with its touching message, especially heading into the final week of the program. The GSBand’s rendition of “Broken Window Serenade” also entertained audiences with its impressive quality and somber tone. Vachan Aghamkar’s performance of “Sparks” continued to move audiences and fill them with a sense of melancholy as he softly sang along with his guitar. Finally, in a duet, Nate Reeves and Ella Rhian Williams enraptured audiences with their powerful singing voices in their rendition of “She Calls Me Back.”
Though there were a number of serious musical acts, there were also a number of acts which blended both humor and skill. Omar Sayied and Chase Kendrick’s “Piano Battle” showcased their talent for piano playing while entertaining audiences as they pretended to fight and throw each other off the piano bench throughout the act. The original song “Stevonian RhapsodySP” by GSQueen parodied the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” and replaced its lyrics with GSP-related remarks, including ones lamenting early curfew and poking fun at GSBaes.
Other humorous moments included The ‘Brella Fellas’ performance of “Singing in the Rain,” a recreation of Tom Holland’s well-known lip sync battle to “Umbrella” by Rihanna. The audience was filled with laughter as they danced across the stage, some skillfully, and others not so much. The Saja Boys also performed a dance cover of the song “Soda Pop” from K-Pop Demon Hunters, with a slight cultural twist in the middle.
Balancing out these longer acts were some brief performances, including Samuel Kingston’s juggling act, Gunnar Smith’s “Stand Up” comedy (which ended with an ironic fall), Murtaza Hussain’s performance of “Tequila,” and Presley Potter, Kenneth Lanham, Hadley Bazant, and Rahma Mubark’s chaotically funny rendition of “Theme Song.”
There were also a variety of serious dance performances to round out the night, including Jackie’s Hall’s entertaining and fun performance of “Teen Beach Mashup,” Brenna Sebree’s performance of “Across the Universe,” Ana Cate Stacey’s “Life on Mars,” and Charvi Nambi’s “Natesha Kauthuvam.”
The show concluded, as always, with the RA update. Here, Murray’s RA staff referenced scholars and intellectual buffets, our very own Journalism class, Winslow Dining Hall, Walmart runs, and the tragic closing of the Wellness Center.
As the performing scholars took their final bow, applause filled Johnson Theatre in the bittersweet end of the 2026 Murray GSP Showcase season.
Performance Order:
“Four Horsemen” – Will Fisher
“Singing in the rain” – The ‘Brella Fellas
“A Change is Gonna Come” – Ben Ream
“Mercy” – Rahma Mubark
“How Far I’ll Go”- Abby Taylor and Santoshi Kumaran
“Your Way’s Better” – Wyatt Cox
“Once Upon a December” – Maggie Gerhard
“Shout Glory” – Jacob Masterson and John Fanisher
“Piano Battle” – Omar Sayied and Chase Kendrick
“Vienna” – Presley Potter
“Burning Love” – Jacob Masterson
“Fierwork” – Trista Gilbert
“Cornfield Chase” – Samuel Kingston
“Only Love Can Hurt Like This” – Bella Dykes
“We’re Going to Be Friends” – Paige Childress and Liam Goodwin
“The Schuyler Sisters” – Gracie Kufour, Clara Reynolds, Mia Mates, and Matthew Jones
“Guys & Dolls” – Gavin Robertson
“Teen Beach Mashup” – Jackie’s Hall
“A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” – Daniel Smith
“Instead of Going to Breakfast With My Friends I Wrote a Song” – Eli Harper, Felix Ding, and Collin McKiddy
“There’s a Honky Tonk Angel (Who’ll Take Me Back In)” – Hunter Barrett
“A Whole New World” – Ruth Maier and Waleska Marquez
“Skyfall” – Raelee Leeper
“Coal Miner’s Daughter” – Grace Wilson
“Cry Me a River” – Katelyn Knox
“Home” – Bella Dykes, Brady Slone, and Murtaza Hussain
“Stevonian RhapsodySP” – GSQueen
“The Other Woman” – Kenneth Lanham
“Tequila” – Murtaza Hussain
“Roses” – Katelyn Knox and Ellie Mark
“Theme Song” – Presley Potter, Kenneth Lanham, Hadley Bazant, and Rahma Mubark
“For Good” – Natalie Huffman and Ava Carpenter
“If I Could” – Grady Amick
“Soda Pop” – The Saja Boys
“Burn” – Scarlet King
“Life on Mars” – Ana Cate Stacey
“Sparks” – Vachan Aghamkar
“She Calls Me Back” – Nate Reeves and Ella Rhian Williams
“Fraulein” – Ezra Bridgman and Sam Dobson
“Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise” – Anne Beck
“Good Luck, Babe!” – Gwen Ogonek
“Across the Universe” – Brenna Sebree
“Oneida” – Harrison Trosper
“Cornelia Street” – Lilly Drees
“Mother Earth” – Addison Tavy Garland
“Stand Up” – Gunnar Smith
“Birdland” – Kelby Kenimer
“Lord I Need You” – Lilly Drees and DeLana Wooldridge
“In Your Love” – Clara Reynolds
“Natesha Kauthuvam” – Charvi Nambi
“Christian Country Marching Band” – A’Niyah Wilford
“Faith” – Max Canlas
“Broken Window Serenade” – the GSBand
Tech Crew: Stage Manager: Helena Smith-Pohl, Ava Adame, Bridget Butler, Clara Daniels, Michael Eades, Eli Hoffman, Anneliese McCray, Kendyl Sammons, Stephanie Zheng, and Matt Zoglman
