From charming musical performances to deceptive magic tricks, the students were enthralled with the gifts of their peers, but some might say the unique methods of acting by the Class of 2022 stole the show.

The long awaited show kicked off with the traditional Senior Video starring senior hosts Jack Walters, Joey Doherty, Sumant Sharma, and Tommy Czarzasty. Through a multitude of Malvern-tailored jokes to nostalgic cameos, the Class of 2022 was captivated by the screen.

“I thought the video was really well done and absolutely hilarious. My favorite part definitely had to be the scene at the train station,” Senior Jack Capaldi said. “Tommy, Sumant, Joey and Walters did a really great job, especially for how much time they put into it.”

Following the electric opening act, seniors Noah Buscaglia and Aiden Cullen teamed up with Southern rockstar turned English teacher, Mrs. Wolstenholme to create a loving parody song for the Class of 2022. They performed a Malvern Prep themed version of the hit “Always Remember Us This Way.”

“We were sitting in the band room playing the original song, and she [Wolstenholme] randomly sang the first line as: “In Carney 105, Catcher in the Rye…,” which sparked the idea to make a Malvern rendition,” Buscaglia said. “The message of the original is applicable, we just changed it to make it heartfelt, funny, and meant for Malvern seniors.”

Senior and Student Council President Sonny Petricca reflected on the performance, “It brought me to tears, every time the chorus mentioned cap and gown, it was emotional, it made me think of how close we are to graduating and all the good memories. Everyone in my row looked around and were all tearing up.” 

After the smash parody song, Senior Charlie Zhu wowed the crowd with a complex card trick that involved volunteers from the audience and Malvern’s two assistant Heads of School. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that magic is absolutely real, no questions asked.

Following this, another group of seniors prepared the classic Senior Skit, which was the impersonation of beloved teachers pitching ideas to the new Head of School, Mr. Sillup. Although the final product may have seemed absolutely seamless, the preparation that went into it was unfortunately quite the opposite. 

“We had trouble getting everyone together at once, there were a lot of lines that weren’t until the last minute, and some guys didn’t have teacher approvals,” Senior and Director of the Skit, Brennan Offshack said. “I think it’s typical for this based on what I’ve heard from the past; regardless, we really pulled together and had a great final product.” 

Despite the fact that production had a bumpy road, most, if not all of the actors, had an idea on how they were going to give an Oscar worthy performance of their respective role, such as Senior Nick Feldman, who sported a sleek black dress and blonde wig, as Mrs. Sweeney.

“I felt very natural in the costume, mildly uncomfortable, but still, light, airy, and free flowing,” Feldman said. “I studied Mrs. Sweeney’s mannerisms for the part, like her hair flips, which is why I hung out in the senior lounge all those days.”

Even with a dedicated cast such as this one, the pressure was on to create the performance, and some felt the heat more than others. Director Offshack earned the nickname of the Skit Dictator, more casually known as the “skit-tator,” which he consequently embraced.

“Rule with fear,” Offshack said. “As for being a ‘skit-tator,’ it might have angered some people, but someone had to take charge and get all our ducks in a row.”

Nonetheless, the work paid off, not only for the Skit, but for every act performed. However, teachers and students alike may agree, alumnus John Skrocki’s rendition of No, Nay, Never once again, actually stole the show and brought a core memory back to Malvern’s campus.

“This [Talent Show] day was definitely always fun as an underclassmen, but now as a senior truly bonded with their class, all of it was even more great and very special,” Feldman said.