Easton’s Finest is a production designed to showcase the talent of Oliver Ames seniors. Oliver Ames’ National Honors Society hosts this event in order to raise money for the society. It proves year after year to be a well advertised and loved production. Many hours of practice goes into preparing for this event, seniors of all talents work together to make the production remarkable.
Easton’s Finest has had a long history of being a successful event in Easton and drawing in large crowds. Many love coming to see their friends and family perform their talents in a low stakes atmosphere. The National Honors Society utilizes Easton’s Finest as one of their main fundraising events for the society, making it essential the event runs smoothly. Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. V, teachers at Oliver Ames and supervisors of the National Honors society, both put pride in planning the event to meet everyone’s needs.
“Easton Finest, formally known as Mr. Easton, has been around since the 1990s. Mrs. V and I took over for Mrs. Sweeney and Mrs. Holt after covid. This is a way the National Honor society raises money for scholarships. It is a fun night of seniors showing off their talents”, said Mrs. Bailey.
Preparation for this event starts way before the actual date. Time and effort goes into preparing the acts, group dances, and iconic jokes throughout the event. Various roles are taken on by the members of the National Honors Society in order to make this event a success. Easton’s Finest’s organizer, Courtney Waugh, describes the dedication and the teamwork it takes to put on this production.
“We had a lot of responses for contestants, so there was a lot of communication between myself, contestants, choreographers, hosts, volunteers, and the NHS advisors. There are a total of over 30 people featured in the performance in some way, so it is a lot to organize and keep track of. Overall, 3 months and countless hours of work went into preparing for Easton’s Finest, so we are hoping everyone enjoys it!”
Comedy has always been an important aspect of the show, making it an event that many are willing to pay the $5 ticket price to get in. The Host/Hostesses are always using well-crafted jokes to make the audience laugh. Hosts in years prior have made the event remarkable for their witty remarks about the contestants. Avery Gamble and Lindsey Solomon are the hosts for this year’s Easton’s Finest. Lindsey says that she wanted to be a host this year to get more involved in her community.
“I think it is great to be a hostess because it was always a fun event to watch so I think it will be even more fun to be involved in. It is a way to give back to the NHS community that I have been a part of for the past two years”, Solomon said.
Contestants do a number of things to showcase their talent each year, making the show surprising and entertaining. Contestants have danced, sung, played instruments and done all sorts of things in order to win the prize of bragging rights and two prom tickets. One of this year’s contestants, Will Su, a contestant in the show, says that he chose to join as a contestant this year because it is all together a good time and a great way to have fun senior year.
“I chose to participate in Easton’s finest for the fun of senior year. A talent show for senior year is a fun activity to show off some talent and have a good time. Easton’s finest is a competition, but it is also comedic and entertaining, and being part of a performance can be a great time! It’s definitely worth seeing, but it can be even more fun to perform in it”, said Su.
The contestants are expected to put in a lot of work and effort before the production. Students from Oliver Ames Musical and Show Choir work together to choreograph the dance. The acts must be clean in order to make it into the show so the contestants are putting in the hours to make sure the show is in top shape. Sean Donovan, a contestant in the show, says that he practices often to perfect his act.
“Preparation involved multiple practices with the other members to practice our opening dance. I also had to make an opening video so I had to prepare for that and film it. I also practice my act in my free time to make it better every time,” said Donovan.
