Coffee, Talent, and Charity

Coffee House

Brenna Morrison, Writer|March 1, 2017

Colorful, eye catching art coated the school walls the week of November 14th, all in preparation for one of the most popular events of the school year: Coffee House, where there was an opportunity to view the best talent in the school.

On November 18th, Coffee House was held from 7 to 10 pm in the Long Reach atrium. Entrance tickets were only 5 dollars, a small price to pay for quality entertainment and food. And it was all for a good cause!

  • The theater department performs the Prologue from “Once Upon a Mattress,” even incorporating sign language into the choreography. Photo courtesy of Lifetouch.

    '

  • Senior Amber Stanford belts “Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato. Photo courtesy of Lifetouch.

    '

  • Improv club entertains the audience with amusing skits. Photo courtesy of Lifetouch.

    '

  • Senior Nathalie Voegtli represents the future in a dynamic performance honoring students’ upcoming graduation. Photo courtesy of Lifetouch.

    '

  • Counselor Ms. Jones performs “Angel” from Montgomery by John Prine. Photo courtesy of Lifetouch.

    '

  • Mrs. Reyes-Leiva performs “Back to Before” from the Musical Ragtime. Photo courtesy of Lifetouch.

    '
Navigate Left
Navigate Right

Coffee House is an annual talent showcase with refreshments and a relaxed atmosphere. It is organized and run by the National Art Honor Society (NAHS), and raises money for the art programs at Long Reach. This allows them to replenish their supplies and organize events for all the art students.

In past years Coffee House has been very successful, but this year promised to be even better. “I’m really excited to see how our ideas turn out,” said NAHS co-president and Senior Alejandra Tovar before the event. “I think this year we’re going to have a lot of fun with the theme and the performances we have lined up.”

As co-president of NAHS, Tovar was an overseer and chief organizer of

Coffee House. She had great expectations, especially with the bold theme choice for this year: “We decided on an early 60s mod theme, like pop art and primary colors.”

Art created by NAHS members and inspired by Mondrian, Warhol, and Lichtenstein decorated the walls while primary-colored vinyl records and cutouts adorned the many tables there.

While the theme was exciting, the main attraction of Coffee House was, of course, the performances.

Rahel Teka, a junior, performed and said the auditions were nerve-racking and a little scary. “I didn’t think my spoken word was that strong, but then I decided to just have fun with it,” she said happily.

The show featured a variety of performances including dancers, singers, poets, and skits. Highlights include senior Amber Stanford’s amazing performance of  “Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato and a magic act by Juniors Shelby Ransom and Molly Whitnir. Senior Nino Martinez remarked, “I loved when Amber sang, it was so powerful!”

“This year I believe Coffee House was better than ever!” Tovar enthused. She confirms that 400 people bought tickets, raising over $1,000 for the art department.

Congratulations and well done to all the organizers and performers. It was an unforgettable night, and has set the bar even higher for the years to come.