By Amy Davis
On May 2-4, Buford welcomed royalty to the Buford Fine Arts Center stage. This year’s Variety Show, entitled “The Royals,” featured songs by artists known for their iconically royal music. There were kings, queens, princes, princesses, and any other high-and-mighty title you can imagine!
The show itself consisted of about 40 songs, all of which were incredibly different; hip-hop, rap, country, rock, blues, and many other music genres elevated the show’s ambiance. At the end of every number, the crowd applauded the performer for their efforts and for their wonderful musicality.
To begin the show, “Royals” by Lorde (sung by a state-winning BHS Trio) filled the room with harmonic melodies. Throughout the night solo singers also performed songs such as “Almost There” from Princess and the Frog, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele (England’s Queen of Soul), “Getting to Know You” from The King and I, “Rocket Man” by Sir Elton John, and “Somebody to Love” by Queen. Third-period Chorus closed the production with “I’m Still Standing” (also by Elton John), leaving everyone in a confident and joyous mood.
“The Royals” wasn’t just students singing on a stage — there was dancing, too. The chorus classes put together routines to accent the music selection for this year, and there were also small group numbers ranging from two to ten people. It’s difficult to remember every word to sing or remember every movement to dance, so these students should be commended on their hard work and dedication to this year’s Variety Show.
Dylan Wiggins, a senior and a soloist, believes the production was worth the long hours of practice, and that “The Royals” was enjoyable from a performer’s perspective. When speaking directly to anyone participating in chorus next year, he suggests that you “step out of your comfort zone; audition for a solo, dance your heart out and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every mistake you make is a chance to get better, so take that chance.”
Special thanks to Chris and Joy Fowler, Taylor Greer, Paris Hawkins, Wayne Johnson, David Kimbro, Stephen Moore, Antonio Prestigiacomo, and D’Vondre Thornton for their contributions to the show. From chorus directors and choreographers to special effects directors and the host of “The Royals”, these individuals helped everything run smoothly.
This year is close to an end, but every school performance will be remembered for many years to come. No matter if you were in the shows or just an audience member, these productions will be something to look back on with 2019 nostalgia. The seniors have set the bar high for Class of 2020 productions, but that’s what Buford is all about. Who would we be as a community without improving every year to be the best we can be? With a single show remaining (“Follies,” May 11 from 7- 8 p.m.), we can only enjoy one more BHS spectacle before it’s all over. Let’s make this ending marvelous!
