Talent show rocks Hopewell School
The winners from the Coshocton County Board of Developmental Disabilities Talent Show are, pictured from left – Tannen Huebner, Casey Jones, Brittany Sturgeon, Faith Williams, Jalen Berry, Scott Balentine and Zachary Ruckman. Jen Jones | Beacon
COSHOCTON – Nerves weren’t a problem as the performers in the 2017 Coshocton County Board of Developmental Disabilities Talent Show waited their turn to rock the crowd. The gym of Hopewell School was packed on April 25 with families and friends who were ready to cheer on their favorite singer and support the talents of each individual.
Emcee Shawn Hart welcomed the crowd, while DJ Bob Casey kept the music flowing for each singer. A panel of five judges watched carefully as the singers took the stage as they would have to choose five winners of trophies at the end of the evening. They took their job seriously as they swayed and danced to the songs each person chose to perform.
Tannen Huebner opened the show, dressed as an old woman and performing a rap song she had written herself. Several times during her performance, the crowd clapped to keep the beat of her song. Casey Jones was next as she sang “When the Sun Goes Down” and smiled to the crowd. After her performance, she said she had fun. Colton Mobley’s soft voice was the perfect tone for the song “Angel.”
A duet of “Right Here, Right Now” was performed by Kaylea Jones and Hugh Hart. Faith Williams’ bright smile showed her excitement at singing her favorite song, “Start of Something New.” She said later that she wasn’t scared at all because she was singing.
During intermission, the crowd enjoyed sweets and punch as the performers that had already sang relaxed and told the second half singers to have fun and that it was easy and fun. Scott Balentine opened the second half of the show. He sang his favorite song “Music Sounds Better with You.” He said he was not nervous at all. He plays golf and basketball when he isn’t singing and the Ohio State Buckeyes are his favorite team.
Zachary Ruckman dedicated his song, “Beautiful Soul” to someone who couldn’t be at the show. Members of the Hopewell Indians Basketball team cheered as Nick McElhaney’s turn to sing came. He dressed as a biker and sang “Bad to the Bone.” Brittany Sturgeon’s soft voice caught everyone’s attention as she sang “This Girl is on Fire.” The final act was Jalen Berry who rocked the crowd as he belted out “Enter Sandman” and danced off the stage and into the crowd.
As the judges conferred to choose the winners, Andrew Sines, a sixth grader who was attending the show with his mother, Tory, sang “One Call Away.” Tory works with several of the performers and came to cheer for them. She said this event was so important because it shows that everyone is equal, regardless of their disability. “Everyone has talents,” she said. When the judges returned, the excitement of the performers built even higher as they waited to hear who would win trophies.
The America’s Got Talent Award was won by Faith Williams and Casey Jones. Most Original Performance was won by Tannen Huebner. Zachary Ruckman and Brittany Sturgeon each won The Voice Award and The People’s Choice Award went to Scott Balentine. Jalen Berry took home the Shon Connors Award.
As the evening ended, several of the singers were already planning their songs for next year.
Category: People & Places
