THE LIT Coffeehouse, a talent show annually sponsored by Choate’s literary magazine, was held in the Student Activities Center on Saturday, April 19th. The event was an opportunity for Choate students and faculty, as well as some guests, to display their artistic abilities in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The event was open for any type of talent, but musical performances and poetry recitations made up the majority of the evening’s acts.
The show began at 8pm with a short musical performance by Mr. Cobbett. Other faculty members, including Mr. Warren, Mr. Cook, and Mr. Easton, all reading poetry, took their turn on stage soon after. Early on in the evening, the lovely Aisha Kibwana ’08 pumped up the crowd with her hip-hop dancing skills. Abena Hagan-Brown ’08 gave a standout performance on the ukulele, singing a song she had written herself about a man she loved despite his filthy habits and baby-eating. The Logan-Munroe Barber Shop Quartet, a group of three, got down to business with an animated sing-a-long.
A crowd favorite, Paul Ryder ’08 and Alessio Manti ’08’s version of “Puff the Magic Dragon,” brought some frolicking spirit to the night, despite a few missed words. Various talented Choate bands took the stage, with many of the same musicians appearing in each rotating line-up. In addition, many of the traditional a capella groups, including the Kaprophones, Whimawehs, and Stonatos, provided soothing harmonies or, in the case of the Kaprophones, piercing falsettos and smooth swagger. A surprise performance from Vertical Horizon’s Keith Kane captured the crowd’s attention and brought in talent that was a little more well-known. However, the student performers provided the highlights of the night. David Woo ’09 says, “I was surprised at the amount of unexpected talent that was present. I never knew so many people were such good artists.”
The flow of performers went by too quickly, and when the show finally ended after 11:15, the audience was sad to go. With every new performance, much of the group was held captive for a little longer with the expectation of a surprise. Throughout the duration of the three-and-a-half-hour show, there were plenty of laughs and group sing-a-longs, and the admiration for friends and familiar faces braving an audience of their peers was clear. Coffee and an abundance of treats were another compelling attraction and gave the audience enough energy to keep on cheering.
The show kept a good balance between subdued, mellow acts and more outrageous ones, and the guitar reigned over all other instruments as the most popular means of expression. Hosts Charlotte McCurdy ’08 and Rachel Kauder Nalebuff ’08 also did a good job of keeping almost everyone informed and attentive. The crowd remained positive, but at some points many audience-members spoke over performances, which made it difficult to hear and fully appreciate the effort going into them. In addition, some complained about the sound quality which was—at times—not the best. Still, complaints about the event were few and far between, and most often had to do with the small number of available seats for the very popular event.
Madeliene Morris ’10 plays “True Blue” on the banjo during the coffeehouse. PHOTO/David Woo ’09
