UHS’s vocal department held its annual “Legends Concert” on Thursday, Jan. 23, and Friday, Jan. 24. The show gave UHS students who were passionate about singing the opportunity to impersonate an artist and perform a song of their choice on stage, creating a diverse show with creative and unique pieces. Overall, the vocal department composed a fun, interactive show that gave the talented students of UHS a platform to showcase their voices.
“This is my third year doing the ‘Legends’ concert,” senior Frankie Ochoa said. “It’s one of my favorite concerts just because I love dressing up and kind of impersonating voices, and for me, it was actually extra special because I got to do it with three of my close friends.”
One of the best aspects of the concert was the creative freedom provided. Each singer chose to bring a song with a special place in their heart, or they enjoyed singing on stage, making each performance heartfelt and memorable. Students could perform solo or with friends, play instruments accompanying their vocals and pick their costumes, expressing their creativity in ways other than their voice. One example was junior Jojo Fleishman, who stood out with her long pink dress and evening gloves, resembling Madonna’s iconic look in the “Material Girl” music video.
“[My song] was sentimental to me because my mom had always sung it growing up,” sophomore Giuliana Torquato said. “So when it was time for ‘Legends,’ I was like, ‘oh, I really want to be able to do this song ‘cause I [have] heard it all my life and felt inspiration from my mom.”
Another positive aspect of the show was its interactive nature. At the show’s beginning, the audience was encouraged to sing or clap along if they were familiar with the song. This created an experience that differed from usual performances. It made an immersive and friendly environment where the audience could join in and express their enjoyment of the performers throughout the song. A fun moment in the audience was when math teacher Mr. Eric Shulman, performing at the “Legends Concert” for his second year, added a math-related line in “Piano Man” by Billy Joel, igniting cheers from many of his students in the audience. Another performer, David Kim, walked between the aisles and waved, high-fived and smiled at the audience while singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley.
“When you’re doing something like ‘Legends,’ it’s volunteer-based, so it’s very individualistic,” senior Deya Nurani said. “So you’re working with friends, and they just love to sing, so it’s very much like what you would do in your bedroom when you’re by yourself.”
From 1960s hits like “Sherry” by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley to Mongolian folk song “Chinggis Khaanii Magtaal” by Batzorig Vaanchig, the concert highlighted the various vocal ranges and music styles, creating a memorable experience. All the performers, from leading singers to band members, brought talent and hard work on stage and helped create a fun, enjoyable performance. Overall, this year’s “Legends Concert” was nothing less than legendary.
