Home-Grown Talent -- guest blogger Kristyn

Sunday I ventured out to see Dance and Shout, a variety show covering hit songs and shows from the 1940’s through the present, performed by the ComPAny of Pebblebrook High School, a component of the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School.

Atlanta is very fortunate to have a wealth of opportunities to see excellent performances. We have many strong professional companies and host touring companies from around the world. It is all too easy to overlook the up and coming talent of our city, the future of the performing arts. And what a bright future it looks to be.

I’ve seen several shows put on by these talented teens and they never fail to disappoint. They work hard at their craft, both in school and through the extra rehearsals required for each performance, as well as through outside study. Their dedication shows through in the crispness of their performance. The end result is a delightful blend of talent and enthusiasm. These students still love what they are doing with the joyful abandon of the newly converted. They’ve fallen in love with their calling and that love is infectious. They are also polished enough to deliver an edge of comedy to their presentation, gleefully poking fun at themselves and their song choices, hamming up the competition-styled choreography, and generally inviting the audience to step back into their own youth and revel in the fun.

There is something magical about seeing these shows that professional performances often lack. It isn’t the glitz of the sets and costumes (though they put many small-budget pro shows to shame). Its realizing that many of these performers are on the cusp of an incredible career. Pebblebrook boasts some big names in their alumni listing and its apparent there are more than a few big names still to come. Seeing all of that talent before it is polished to perfection is fascinating and isn’t an experience to be missed. They put on several shows a year at the Cobb County Civic Center and I encourage you to check them out. Here’s hoping we keep some of that homegrown talent local!