Follies Showcases Various Talent

Alan Wang '19, Staff Writer

 

The Falcon Follies show exhibited the various musical and theatrical talents of Peddie students on Saturday, Dec. 5. Students gathered in the William Mount-Burke Theatre to see their fellow students perform on stage. Audience members were treated to a range of musical genres, from a soulful rendition of pop song “Hotline Bling” from Nicholas Massenburg ’17 to rock classics like “Seven Nation Army” performed by the band Common Courtesy.

Jim Truslow, the faculty organizer and host of Falcon Follies, has kept the show lively and entertaining, as noted by his random and humorous selection of hats, which were changed between each act. Although most of the acts were musical performances, Alex Deland ’17 and JT Piesco ’17 performed the dramatic number “Agony” from Into the Woods. Student performers also covered songs like Adele’s “Hello”, Ed Sheeran’s “The A-Team” by Ed Sheeran, and The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”. Also, several student bands were featured throughout the performance, such as Common Courtesy, Gold and Navy and The Fac Brats.

The Falcon Follies, an informal talent show, has long been a Peddie tradition. Initially started by beloved drama teacher Harry Holcombe, management of the show was eventually passed on to math teacher John Bates, and just recently, inherited by faculty member Jim Truslow. Aided by a senior student co-director, Truslow had the help of Caroline Lloyd ’16 this year.

The time frame of the show is kept short, since the Peddie winter term is naturally very busy.

“It’s announced a few weeks before Blair Day. People rehearse on their own during the final weeks of the fall term. And finally, the event is less than a week after we return from a 9-10 day break,” Truslow said.

Auditions were on the Tuesday before the show, and the only rehearsal was Wednesday night. Lloyd helped with the behind-the-scenes elements including managing the stage crew, which was also directed by John Lucs.

“The show went very well. There are a lot of very talented Falcons and the Follies showcased that fact once again.  They learned their performances and were quick studies on where and when to go.  It made the show run smoothly,” Truslow said.

“It was really exciting for me to watch my friends perform in Falcon Follies. They performed a lot of my favorite songs, and I look forward to next year’s performance,” Seijin Kim ’17 said.

In the future, Truslow hopes to get more varied performers in the show. He looks forward to having some faculty members perform next year.

“I was really thrilled to see JT and Alex’s performance because it was different. A follies show is meant to be a theatrical revue – music, dancing, acting, comedy…I would love to see the Peddie community rally around and make the Falcon Follies bigger and more foolish,” Truslow said.