BHS is hosting the annual White & Gold talent show on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

 Main office secretary Amy Schulte and Spanish teacher Topher Helm are co-directing the show this year. 

White & Gold, named after our school colors, is best described as a showcase of talents.

The talent show has been a BHS tradition dating back to at least the early 90s.

Schulte, an enthusiast of school spirit and shows, recounted some history of White and Gold.

“It’s a tradition here at Beachwood that has gone on for many years,” Schulte said. “It used to be a two-night event that was packed.” 

“[the auditions] were competitive…  and it fell to the wayside during COVID and during recent years, but now it’s picking back up and we have several acts.”

Anyone with a talent of any kind was invited to audition for the show. 

“It’s also about the quiet talents that you may not know [people have],” Schulte said.

In recent years the performances in the auditorium have been accompanied by an exhibit of students’ visual and written work in the atrium.

Juniors So Eun Kang and Seohyun Kwon will be performing a dance in T-Rex costumes  called “La La La.”

“I’m very excited because it’s my first time performing a dance in front of people at this school,” Kang said. 

She also says she feels less nervous because they will be wearing costumes.

Among the students whose visual art will be showcased will be senior artist Jiacheng (Kevin) Kuang. 

Last year art teacher Heather Grano convinced Kuang  to participate in White & Gold, where he shared a work inspired by the work of M.C. Escher. He will be displaying a painting inspired by Escher this year as well.

Kuang’s confidence in his art and willingness to share it with others is what inspired him to display his artistic talent.

“The reason was the hobby and the love, and I loved drawing,” he said. “When I was young, age four or six, I was trying to sketch a [Tom and Jerry] animation, and I realized I really love art. I really like drawing, so I just kept working on it.” 

“I have kept [developing my skills] until now,” he said. “I just use that as a language to draw on the canvas to spread out my ideas.”

Kuang commented he was not nervous about his work being displayed, but rather happy about his artistic achievements.

“Almost every painting was difficult to start [at first], but it was that constant process of revising and restructuring that really strengthened my determination and taught me to persevere,” he said. “It encourages me to keep working on it, because after the piece is done, that achievement or that feeling is indescribable.”

Helm and Schulte expect the turnout for this year’s show to be the biggest since the year before COVID hit, when the talent show was canceled due to the pandemic. The years following COVID have greatly diminished numbers, but the show’s current leadership has noticed the attendance steadily increasing in the subsequent years.

Schulte explained the show’s timing this year.

“We decided to change it this year to a time when no one’s pressured about senior stuff,” she said. “No one’s pressured about AP exams, finals and tests and all those things, and there’s not much senioritis happening just yet.” 

“It’s possible a nice winter event when there’s less going on may increase participation,” she added.

The talent show is a great place to see students display their talents.

An anonymous tip suggests that some staff members are practicing a dance for the show in the privacy of their homes.