We congratulate Ella Flores and Mary Colmenar for being named the winners of the 2019 East Auckland Performing Arts Showcase for their duet of ‘I Can Do Better Than That’ from the musical ‘The Last 5 Years’. Hosted by Howick Youth Council, it was a fantastic evening to celebrate the young talent of East Auckland. Sancta Maria College was represented by four acts. Meggy Laguda, Anna Nguyen, Mary Colmenar and Ella Flores all took to the stage. Mary also claimed third place for her solo performance of ‘She Used To Be Mine’ and ‘When He Sees Me’.
Here is an overview of each student’s performance:
Meggy Laguda sang solo one of her favourite ballads, ‘I Love You’ by Billie Eilish. She enjoys performing this song due to the way you can show emotion and connect with the audience. Meggy described it as a “nerve-wracking” experience to take her performance skills outside of school. However, she was up for the challenge, and it all paid off in the end as she went on to perform wonderfully. “It was honestly such a thrill being up there. It’s always exhilarating to try something new and take the opportunities presented to you,” says Meggy.
Anna Nguyen took on the challenge of performing a cappella. Her selected piece was a folk song which she chose due to the story-telling aspect of it. During the performance, she focussed on getting into the mood of the sad nature of the song. Her passion on stage resonated well with the audience as she responded to the good energy coming from the supportive crowd. “As usual HYC does really cool events for the youth and it’s truly inspiring to see how many talented people are in our community and our generation. I’m growing up with these same talented people who are passionate about the arts the same way as I am, so I left feeling quite inspired,” said Anna.
Mary Colmenar performed two pieces from a favourite musical of hers, ‘Waitress’. The first song ‘She Used To Be Mine’ is a “beautiful and touching song” depicting the thoughts of a girl who has lost herself in a “loveless and abusive marriage.” The second song ‘When He Sees Me’ is sung by the character of someone who fears to put her heart on the line to only be rejected. Mary hand-picked these pieces to portray the two different characters and their stories in each song. Not only did she sing, but she whole-heartedly embodied both characters and brought to life their energy and emotion. This is one of two times Mary performed on the night, the second being a duet with Ella Flores.
Ella Flores and Mary Colmenar performed a rendition of the song ‘I Can Do Better Than That’ from the musical ‘The Last 5 Years’. For a personal touch, they put humour into the song and transformed it from a solo into a duet. The interpretation consisted of the two characters gossiping and telling their own stories to each other and the audience. It then took a change of pace as the two begin competing, hence the name ‘I Can Do Better Than That’. with ‘that’ referring to each other. Ella Flores added that the joy came from the versatility of this piece as they had no set way to perform it, making each run-through unique. They had the freedom to play around with their characters, which contributed to the originality of their performance. The enthusiasm and vivacity oozing from both individuals during their performance was contagious and convincing. Their artistry impressed the audience and the judges, making them the champions on the night.
All four performers deserve a massive round of applause. We wish them all the best as they go from strength to strength, and we wait with excitement to hear more from each of them.
Katrina Chan
