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entertainment Panther Prowler • Feb. 18, 2020
Singers at solo night strike a chord Adalia Luo Staff Writer
Prasheetha Karthikeyan Staff Writer
Sing- Kyla Kowalewski, senior, sings “You’ll Be Back,” a song from the musical Hamilton, for this year’s choir solo night. The best part of solo night, according to Kowalewski, was”the end of my song when I had the audience singing along with me and I belted the last part, finishing with a look to the distance in character” she said. “I also loved being in costume and seeing everyone’s reactions to my cloak and crown, that was really fun.” Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler
This past Friday, Feb. 7, the choir program had their second solo night of the year. Held in the Panther PAC, the 18 groups sung their hearts out on the big stage for their friends and family. A long-time member of choir, Kyla Kowalewski, senior, performed twice in one night, singing a solo and in a triplet. “I
chose to sing ‘You’ll Be Back’ from Hamilton,” Kowalewski said. “While it wasn’t the most challenging, it allowed me to portray a fun and engaging character, sing in a theatrical manner, and just perform a piece I already knew and loved for my senior year.” Solo night has held a soft spot in Kowalewski’s heart after her years in choir. This year, her aspirations were just to have fun. “Performing at these nights allows me to sing those styles of songs that we may not normally get to. It really was just a chance for me to have fun and do something I love for others and share my voice,” Kowalewski said. Post-performance, Kowalewski was over the moon. “I was really proud of how I portrayed my character, both through costume, action, and voice. I was relieved for sure that my voice didn’t crack, but I had a lot of fun and I thought that my solo went pretty well,” said Kowalewski. For another long time choir member, Ricky Perez, senior, this was his very first solo night. “On stage in those first few moments, I was terrified beyond belief because I thought I would do horribly since it was my first ever solo performance,” Perez said. Despite being a member of Chamber, Concert, Mens, and Barbershop Choir, Perez has been working on conquering his fear of solo performance. “What inspired me to do it was me, my goal, and those around me. I often wanted to do a solo but what kept me from doing one was my nervousness,” Perez said. “I was able to push past it though and perform at solo night.” One of the last people before intermission, Perez’s performance was memorable. “The best part was honestly after my solo; I got a lot of compliments from everyone I knew. It was amazing to hear that people thought my voice was great,” Perez said. For him, the performance was a clear milestone. “I felt relieved afterwards, and proud,” Perez said. “I was finally able to do something I’ve been telling myself to do for years.”
Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler
Concert Choir member Joah Ditto, sophomore, is a seasoned solo night performer. Playing “Stitches” on guitar for another act and singing “Santa Fe” from the Broadway show, Newsies, Ditto was a hit. “I felt like I was able to perform however I wanted; I usually tend to let the message of the song drive my performance and act through that,” Ditto said. Giving a heartfelt rendition of the classic, Ditto’s interpretation of the piece was well-received. “I felt really good and it’s always fun doing those solo nights,” said Ditto. “I would say that the best part would be watching my friends perform their solos and showcasing their voices and styles.” A positive experience for all of those involved, this year’s spring solo night was one to remember. “We really were just having a fun time together,” Kowalewski said.
“Bad Boys For Life” isn’t actually bad Rahul D’Souza Chief Photographer The familiar scene with a Porsche racing down the street, Mike Lowery at the wheel, his partner Marcus in the passenger seat. Usually, this would evolve into a gunfight of some sorts, but not this time. This time, Marcus Bennet is arriving at the birth of his first grandchild. That scene should be enough to explain how old the “Bad Boys” stars have gotten. Lowery, played by Will Smith, used to be a daring, suave cop who didn’t care for the rules. Bennet, played by Martin Lawrence, is an absolute fool as a cop but a good family man at heart. In “Bad Boys For Life”, Lowery is still trying to be that same cop, despite his receding hairline screaming at him to stop. Bennet, on the other hand, knows he is “too old for this s***.” After someone tries to kill Mike, he and his partner work with AMMO, an elite group of younger cops who are more tech-savvy then they are trigger-happy. The shoot first, talk later attitude that
Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler
Lowery and Bennet work with doesn’t blend well with the methods of AMMO. The action scenes dominate less of the movie than in past installments, but that might be for the best. Without Michael Bay directing explosions left and right, the action scenes aren’t as gripping. The witty banter and chemistry between Smith and Lawrence doesn’t need directing however, and is as hilarious as ever. After 17 years of the two being apart, it is refreshing to see them together. Overall, the film isn’t amazing, but no “Bad Boys” film is meant to be Oscar-worthy. However, unlike the past two films, this one doesn’t rely on camera action to make it interesting. It offers some depth to the characters, humanizing them in a way that hasn’t been seen before in the franchise. It is by no means a family movie in any way, but it is definitely worth watching, if only for the nostalgia.
Music Corner! Emma Schoors News Editor
January was a huge month in the world of alternative and rock music, with tons of new singles, albums, and tours scheduled from widely-loved bands. The start of the year has been a hit for My Chemical Romance, who sold out three UK stadium dates within mere minutes of each one going on sale. The New Jersey based rock band, who reunited on Halloween in 2019 after a six year hiatus, has been selling out massive worldwide venues left and right. Their most recent announcement has them touring in twelve US
cities, most notably selling out four nights at the Forum in Los Angeles. Similarly, The Strokes are creating their long-awaited first album since 2013’s “Comedown Machine,” with highly anticipated dates scheduled in LA, Seattle, and Vancouver. They kicked off this exciting new era by playing at a Bernie Sanders rally in New Hampshire on Feb. 10. Both of the bands have huge, dedicated fan bases and their returns have been extremely positively received. New music has been flooding in throughout the past month.
Up and coming alternative rock group Courier Club released “We All Want To Be There” on Jan. 31, which is the band’s fifth single since forming. Their second single, “Liza”, racked up over 300,000 streams on Spotify, showing the rapidly growing interest that listeners have in the band in such a short amount of time. 2020 is shaping up to be a great year for music, and it can only get better from here.
