MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Strawberry Festival Talent Show itself is still nearly a month away, but its auditioning acts already took to the stage of the Marysville-Pilchuck High School auditorium May 8-9.
Andrew Payne went to middle school with Roland Shaw and become friends with Justin Lim through Shaw, when Shaw transferred to Lim’s high school, but what bonded the three young men onstage on May 8, three years after they all graduated from high school, was a unique three-part electric guitar performance of classic rock.
“We decided we were going to do this about four months ago,” Payne said. “We managed to put in about eight or nine practice sessions, and while I would have liked more, it went pretty well.”
Like Payne, Dennis Sigler is a frequent sight at the Talent Show’s auditions and finalist performances, although his preferred music is Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond rather than Payne’s selections of AC/DC and Huey Lewis.
“I’ve been singing since I was a little kid, but I’ve only been doing karaoke for the past 10 or 12 years,” said Sigler, a pastor who sings from the heart and tries to make his audiences feel as good as he does through his chosen songs.
Robbie St. Jean has been singing for 12 of her 14 years, and even made it to second place in her age group for last year’s Talent Show.
“She’s been in school talent shows from third grade on up,” said Robbie’s mom, Shelly St. Jean. “She’s been getting voice coaching lessons for the past year, and she’s performed five songs at Allen Creek Community Church. She never gets nervous, but I get nervous for her.”
Marvin Fritze has auditioned for the Talent Show for at least a decade, and has always made it to the finals, even winning first overall one year for his 9/11 tribute song “America.”
“I hope I can inspire people my age or younger to do something with their talent before it’s gone,” said Fritze, who’s working on a first album comprised of songs he’s written and first performed at Strawberry Festival Talent Shows.
Although its finalists were still being narrowed down as of press time, the Talent Show will return to the M-PHS auditorium on Thursday, June 13, starting at 6:30 p.m., and will hand out awards to the first, second and third place performers in performance categories such as vocal, dance, instrumental and comedy. Call Marcy Giesler at 360-653-6584 for more information.
