Audience

When you walk into the Performing Arts Center and hear the sound of Wade Tonken’s familiar voice, see the massive cooler of Starbucks bottled mocha frappuccinos and the spotlights hitting the array of instruments on the stage, you know it’s showtime. Coffeehouse is one of Hackey’s most attended events, and is rewarding for both the audience and the performers.

This year’s Winter Coffeehouse was a definite crowd-pleaser, full of music, poetry, and comedy. Coffeehouse maintains a strong reputation and allows for the audience to enjoy the many rich talents of the Hackley community. Senior Chris Wahrhaftig said, “I think Coffeehouse is a great way to see a lot of hidden, cool talents that you don’t really know about.” Coffeehouse continues to surprise the community with new, unique talents, giving performers the chance to show off to their friends, teachers, and family. “It’s really fun watching my friends perform, but I especially love watching my teachers perform. It’s a really fun way to bring the community together to support one another,” senior Riya Mital added.

Freshman Emmy Wenstrup commented, “Coming into freshman year, I was really looking forward to Coffeehouse, because my brother raved about it and I’m also excited to hear new talents throughout the community.”

Performers

Performing at Coffeehouse is a challenging yet gratifying experience.

Senior Carolyn Miller has been performing at Coffeehouse since her freshman year. “When I stepped on stage for the first time, I was really nervous because I was basically singing in front of around 250 kids who were older than me. I remember halfway through my song everyone started to cheer and all those nerves went away because I realized how supportive the community is and how rewarding performing can be,” said Carolyn.

Another talented senior, Lila Wolfe, has a small routine to help her cope with nerves and clear her mind before performing. “I think about the first words I’m going to sing and once those words are in my head, I make sure the people I’m playing with are ready. As soon as they see me smile, we start going and I just focus on the song, and not the people watching,” Lila stated.