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Category: Showcase

Published March 11, 2023

2023 Tickets

Experience a student event like no other!

Join us on March 15 & 16, 2023 at the Frauenthal Theatre as we watch hundreds of students, from 30 different high schools, across 5 West Michigan counties, showing off their talents! The two-night show will feature different schools each night and will end with an awards ceremony on March 16.  Student performers will showcase entertainment in the way of solo/duo artists, group performances, theater skits and much more! Students with digital media, visual art, and literary art submissions will be recognized on stage each night. Academic and athletic students will be recognized online.

Come for one night or both nights and experience this one-of-a-kind talent show! Which school will take home the grandest honor of them all, the Gary W. Ostrom Showstopper Award? You’ll have to come and see for yourself!  Also, don’t forget to visit the The Reception Gallery at the Hilt Building, March 1-27, to view the visual art submitted by area high school students!

2023 Prices

  • In Advance
    • $10 one night / $15 both nights (adults)
    • $6 one night / $10 both nights (students)
  • At the Door
    • $15 each night (all)

Show Night

A list of which schools will be represented on which night will be listed below:

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Artios Academies of West Michigan
Calvary Christian School
Grant High School
Ludington High School
Mason County Central High School
Mason County Eastern High School
Montague High School
Muskegon Catholic Central High School
Muskegon High School
Newaygo High School
North Muskegon High School
Oakridge High School
Pentwater High School
Ravenna High School
Shelby High School
Spring Lake High School
Western MI Christian High School
White Cloud High School

Thursday, March 16, 2023

Fremont High School
Fruitport High School
Grand Haven High School
Hart High School
Hesperia High School
Holton High School
Mona Shores High School
Orchard View High School
Reeths-Puffer High School
Whitehall High School

Note: All Awards are presented following the show on Thursday night.

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Buying Tickets

Every Showcase nominee receives a free ticket to the performance. Please go to the Box Office during their hours of operation or pre-show to reserve your ticket in-person, as they must check you off from our nominees list to give you your free ticket.

Published January 3, 2023

West Michigan Student Showcase

The West Michigan Student Showcase has been a staple along the lakeshore  for nearly  42 years.  This annual celebration showcases close to 250 students from 35 different school districts throughout Muskegon, Ottawa, Oceana, Newaygo, and Mason Counties.   

Students are selected by their respective schools in the competitive areas of Digital Media Arts, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts, as well as the recognition areas of Academics and Athletics. Monetary awards are given in the competitive categories for first, second, and third place, including a Showstopper award in the Performing Arts category.

Join us on March 20 & 21, 2024 at the lovely Frauenthal Theatre to experience this amazing display of local youth talent!

COMING SOON 2024 Timeline

PAST 2023 Nominee & School Timeline

  • Wed., Feb. 1 – Coordinator Nomination Form Due
  • Wed., Feb. 15 – Student Nominee Forms Due. Complete Forms HERE. 
  • Tue., Feb. 21 – Performing Arts Workshop Assignments Announced
  • Fri., Feb. 24 (3pm-5:30pm) – Visual Arts Drop-Off
  • Mon. Feb. 27 (3pm-5:30pm) – Visual Arts Drop-Off
  • Mon, Feb. 27 (5pm-9pm) – Performing Arts Workshop I
  • Mar 1-27 – Visual Art Gallery Exhibition Open, Hilt Building, 2nd Floor
  • Sat. Mar. 4 (9am-2pm) – Performing Arts Workshop II
  • Tue, Mar. 7 – Show Night Assignments Announced
  • Wed. Mar. 15 – Rehearsal (9am-3pm) & Show Date (6pm students arrive, 7pm showtime)
  • Thu., Mar. 16 – Rehearsal (9am-3pm) & Show Date (6pm students arrive, 7pm showtime)
  • Mon., Mar. 27 – Visual Arts Pick-Up
Published March 8, 2022

2022 Literary Arts Nominees

NOTE: Some entries may contain adult themes. Minors, please ask for parental permission before reading.

Calvary Christian School – Elisha McKee – “Without You?”, “Can’t be without you”, “Where do I go with my emptiness?”

Fremont High School – Kaitlyn Bergman – “I Am From”, “Inside Me”, “The Count Down”

Fruitport High School – Adam Beerawi – “The Black Door at the End of the White Hallway”

Grand Haven High School – Kaitlan Balsam – “How It Feels to be Seen”, “What is Life Without the Sun?”, “Days Pass Like Foggy Dreams I Can’t Quite Remember”

Grant High School – Rachel Roossinck – “Influential People Change the World Around Them”

Hart High School – Audrianna Enns – “Flight”, “Magic”, “Time”

Hesperia High School – Trinity Flanery – ” naiveté”, “the death of self”, “generosity”

Mason County Eastern High School – Sydney Gage – “I Remember”

Montague High School – August Hawley – “jouska”, “i leave everything unfinished (but i guess that’s better than nothing)”, “in which i write the same poem again”

Muskegon High School – Kylee Northrop – “The Ruins “, “Her reflection “, “”

North Muskegon High School – Kelty Blastic – “Vernon”

Ravenna High School – Gabrielle Van Wesep – “1-800-273-8255” (Content Warning: Suicide)

Reeths-Puffer High School – Emma Dibble – “Golden “, “A Modern Take On Art”, “A Letter From My Heart To My Brain”

Spring Lake High School – Haley Brosnan – “Sin”, “Death”, “Rebirth”

Whitehall High School – Lacey Herbert – “Creation of Adam”, “changing room mirrors”, “amazing grace”

Published May 28, 2021

2021 Showcase Results

Digital Media

  • First Place – Mona Shores High School – “P.S. Missing You” – Cameron Seiferlein
  • Second Place – White Cloud High School – “The Story of Daniel Ament” – Aleeyah Grifford, Rylee Hewitt, and Valerie Saville
  • Third Place – Artios of Grand Haven – “Chase Your Dreams” – Isaiah Winters

Literary Arts

  • First Place – Montague High School – “Anatomy,” “Self Baptism”, and “The Art of Healing” – August Hawley
  • Second Place – Fruitport High School – “At Least She Flew” – Cassie Berry
  • Third Place – Ravenna High School – “The Adventures of Florida Man and Spleens: The Great Pancake Thievery” – Ryanne Varso
  • Honorable Mention – Homeschool – “A Day” – Clyde Kelly
  • Honorable Mention – Reeths-Puffer High School – “Goats on Boats,” “An approximation of the location of my home.,” and “The Mallard” – Andrew Hayes
  • Honorable Mention – Spring Lake High School – “Letter to the Dandelion,” “Lavender Love,” and “The Earth Beneath Us” – Kailey Kuhlman

Performing Arts

Solo/Duo Category

  • First Place – Western Michigan Christian High School – “Alto’s Lament” – Ashley Erdman
  • Second Place – Holton High School – “The Life I Never Led” – Bella Resterhouse
  • Third Place – Mason County Central High School – “Lonely Planet” – Ryland Gigante

Group Category

  • First Place – Mona Shores High School – “Light in the Hallway” – “The Quarter Notes” featuring Jessica Lawton, Mia Newman, Rebecca Powell, and Laura Schluentz
  • Second Place – Reeths-Puffer High School – “Wellerman” – “The Wellermen” featuring Noah Bowne, Gaven Carey, Jaxon Carpenter, Kyle Drzewicki, Sage Foster, Reece Pickard, and Caleb Soboleski
  • Third Place – Artios of Grand Haven – “Silent Sky” – “The Artios Actors” featuring Audrey Abbott, Claudia Hwang, Zoe Thompson, and Raegan Visker

Gary W. Ostrom Showstopper Award

  • Mona Shores High School – “Piano Man” – Matthew Yacoub

Visual Arts

  • First Place – Reeths-Puffer High School – “The Journey of Self Love” – Lea Seifert
  • Second Place – Artios of Grand Haven – “Going Bananas” – Regan VanderWall
  • Third Place – Shelby High School – “Erika Guerrero” – Esmeralda Guerrero
  • Honorable Mention – Hesperia High School – “Bees” – Katelyn Lotz
Published May 24, 2021

2021 Literary Arts Nominees

NOTE: Some entries may contain adult themes. Minors, please ask for parental permission before reading.

Artios of Grand Haven – Frankie Kendziera – “Hendrick Road” and “Love is a Verb” (Poetry)

Fremont High School – Isabella Ross – “Junk Drawer” and “I Present to You the Tooth Performer” (Poetry)

Fruitport High School – Cassia Berry – “At Least She Flew” (Fiction)

Grand Haven High School – Fiona Dean – “Hearts of Broken Beasts” (Fiction)

Grant High School – Liberty Malone – “Autumn Leaves” (Fiction)

Hart High School – Wynn Sanders – “Silence Falls on New Alexandria” (Fiction)

Hesperia High School – McKenna LaCount – “Icarus”, “Grief”, and “The Class of 2021” (Poetry)

Holton High School – Georgia Casteel – “Burt and His Bitter Berries” (Fiction)

Homeschool – Clyde Kelly – “A Day” (Non-Fiction)

Mason County Eastern High School – Elisa Barry – “Summer’s End” and “My Life is My Own” (Poetry)

Mona Shores High School – Sidney Gould – “Can You See Me?” (Fiction)

Montague High School – August Hawley – “anatomy”, “Self Baptism”, and “The Art of Healing” (Poetry)

Muskegon High School – JaKhia Mitchell – “Poetry Analysis” (Non-Fiction)

North Muskegon High School – Audrey Wilson – “House of Firsts” (Non-Fiction)

Ravenna High School – Ryanne Varso – “The Adventures of Florida Man and Spleens The Great Pancake Thievery” (Fiction)

Reeths-Puffer High School – Andrew Hayes – “Goats on Boats”, “An approximation of the location of my home.”, and “The Mallard” (Poetry)

Spring Lake High School – Kailey Kuhlman – “Letter to the Dandelion”, “Lavender Love”, and “The Earth Beneath Us” (Poetry)

White Cloud – Janessa Shepard – “Rain” (Poetry)

Whitehall High School – Joseph Heckman – “Thoughts over a Cigarette” (Non-Fiction)

Published May 19, 2021

2021 Digital Media Arts Nominees

NOTE: Some entries may contain adult themes. Minors, please ask for parental permission before watching.

Artios of Grand Haven – “Chase Your Dreams” (1:41)

Created by: Isaiah Winters

Synopsis: This is kind of like a short film about going out in life and doing what YOU want to do, not what others think you should do. I go over what all happened in the past year or so, and then start to show the upside of thing that we can do next year to make it the best year of our lives.

Mona Shores High School – “P.S. Missing You” (5:32)

Created by: Cameron Seiferlein

Synopsis: A man is trying to deal with his emotions after losing someone he loved. Throughout the story he gradually starts accepting the truth and moves on. The story is told through the notes he writes while on a nature walk.

OAISD Careerline Tech Center – “New Driver” (7:40)

Created by: Kinsey Nelson

Synopsis: For months Kim was excited to get her license, it was a symbol of friendship to her and her best friend Maddie, or at least she believed it was the both of them who thought this. The day she receives her license she discovers Maddie at another friends house. It turns out that the whole time that Kim was excited, Maddie didn’t reciprocate these feelings and had been driving around with her new friend, Steph. Kim, extremely hurt, stomps away after screaming at Maddie about how their friendship didn’t seem to mean much and goes home. While at home she reflects on what she has done and comes up with a plan, she will get rid of the competition, impulsively she messages Steph and requests they meet up. The next day at their picnic, Kim goes through with her plan and murders Steph with poisoned food.

Pentwater High School – “Women with Hemophilia: Understanding Medical Bias” (7:12)

Created by: Haley Powers, Grace Powers, and Paige Ruggles

Synopsis: “Women With Hemophilia: Understanding Medical Bias” is a documentary about how medical bias often works specifically against women. It spotlights women with hemophilia as an example and highlights the voices of a few women who live with hemophilia. We asked them about their experiences with their diagnosis and how they believe women can work to combat medical bias.

White Cloud High School – “The Story of Daniel Ament” (19:03)

Created by: Aleeya Grifford, Rylee Hewitt, and Valerie Saville

Synopsis: Our White Cloud Media Club (WCTV) was provided with an amazing opportunity to interview Daniel Ament, the first ever to receive a Double Lung Transplant due to vaping related illnesses, via Zoom, on February 23, 2021, thanks to Spectrum Health and the Newaygo County Headway Coalition. Ament is the world’s first double-lung transplant recipient. At the age of 16, he became severely ill from vaping and was on life-support for 29 days. He underwent double-lung transplant surgery in 2019.

Today, Ament is committed to sharing his story publicly and launching a non-profit organization that will encourage young people to live a healthier and happier lifestyle and improve overall mental wellness with training for counselors, coaches and parents to provide alternatives for coping with the pressures of being a teenager void of substances. He has spoken nationally about the harm of nicotine use and vaping, and has appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning, America” and on CBS.

Published May 19, 2021

2021 Visual Arts Nominees

A bound book with four bananas of various colors on the cover
“Going Bananas” (Photography)
Regan VanderWall, Artios of Grand Haven
This book was the creation of a semester long project exploring the many ways you can photograph a single topic. I chose the theme of fruit. Each week included a different material or technique that had to be used while still photographing your selected subject. This was able to give the final piece a diverse yet unified look which is showcased throughout my piece.
A short, wide clay pot with an orange-brown interior and blue mottled exterior.
“Hand Rolled Coil Pottery” (Clay)
Aiden Vela, Fruitport High School
I created this coil pot from hand rolled coils that I spent a ton of time blending. Forming this complex out and back in vase shape was challenging. To get it symmetrical I used a paddle and rib tool to scrape the surface to even it out. Before firing the surface was burnished with a metal spoon. I am most proud of how the surface turned out- I think it is hard to tell that I used coils.
A black and white ink drawing of a Japanese-looking house.
“Linear Perspective Architectural Drawing (Japanese Dwelling)” (Marker)
Brooke Johnson, Grand Haven High School
I have taken a variety of art classes, including Art and Design, Ceramics, Jewelry and Drawing. In this ink study, Linear Perspective Architectural Drawing (Japanese Dwelling), I used parallel lines and cross hatching to show the value structure of the wood on the house and scumbling to create the trees, plants, and woodchips. I wanted my artwork to be clean with clear structure, and I took my time to achieve that.
Paper Mache head with colorful flowers for hair, rainbow cheeks, and what appears to be blood dripping from the nose and eyebrow.
“Hopeless Pride” (Paper Mache & Acrylic)
Keelie Fidler, Hart High School
I decided to make my project to bring awareness to harassment against members of the LGBTQ+ community.
A sad clown in a funhouse mirror room. All of the reflections are smiling.
“Jingles the Jester” (Acrylic on Mirror)
Abby Wisniewski, Holton High School
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Jingles the Jester! Lost in a maze of mirrors, Jingles faces himself in a new light. As the fluorescent LED lights close in on him, he must face his own worst enemy… himself.
An abstract lookiing paining. Primary colors are blue on the left and yellow on the right.
“The Storm Inside” (Acrylic)
Astrid Lundström, Mason County Eastern High School
We were reading about Helen Frankenthaler and how she painted on the floor. We couldn’t do it inside so we went out on the grass. We got told to just express ourselves. So I started putting paint on and the farther I got the more creative I got. I started with a small brush then ended up with a bigger one at the end I was using my hands and a knife to put the paint on. In the end, I got the idea to use the grass to paint so I put a lot of paint on my canvas and turn it on the grass, and proceeded at jumping on it so it got a different texture and some grass in it. I kept that process going like that.
A young man looks at the viewer. He has long brown hair, glasses, and a goatee. In the background are virus particles.
“Self Portrait on Canvas #1” (Acrylic)
Teegan Day, Montague High School
Art is a reflection of how its creator sees the world. This self portrait encapsulates my view of the world over the past year. Where the effects of the pandemic are in the background of everything.
An album cover for Calvin Harris has clouds, a tree, and grass in white silhouettes and a narrowing purple circle suggests depth.
“Calvin Harris Album Artwork” (Digital Art)
JaBria Thomas, Muskegon Heights Public School Academy
I really like my art, I try to capture the poses and the essence of it. Drawing is like my comfort it’s a hobby I enjoy the most and it makes me feel calm.
A young woman with red skin, green eyes, and blue hair is surrounded by various symbols.
“Unfiltered Chaos” (Mixed Media)
Jade Velazquez, North Muskegon High School
My work entails the struggle between the inner emotions and what I show people. I wanted to capture the beauty of the unshown emotions. On the left side of my painting, I tried to keep it as perfect as I could—at least as perfect as any human can. On the left is what I show people, the perfectionist. On the right side, I tried to show the anger, frustration, sadness, and other emotions that I struggle to understand. In the piece, there is an eye on the right side, and I tried to paint around it using black. I messed up the line art and got upset, so I scribbled on that side of the piece while shedding some tears. I ended up taking a two-day break from my piece. Once I got back to the painting, I used scribbles representing the frustrations of trying to be perfect and not show any negative emotions. The being in the middle I painted is me, but as we all know, anyone can be in that situation, the fight between the person you are underneath and the person you choose to show people. As humans, we need to speak up and not hide our true selves in fear of what others might think.
A young african american woman stares a the viewer with her hands gently touching the sides of her face.
“Fresh” (Acrylic)
Destyni Lane, Oakridge High School
In this artwork I focused on portraying natural beauty. In society today we tend to compare ourselves to “ideal” images. Everyone is beautiful in their own way, natural beauty is the best beauty.
Twenty bottles with flowers are arranged on a wooden shelf with photos inside each bottle
“Pictures in Recycled Bottles” (Mixed Media)
Haley Powers, Pentwater High School
This project uses recycled Starbucks bottles and crepe paper flowers for a different way of displaying photography. I did this using a lot of pictures I have taken using either an iPhone or a camera. I used crepe paper that was donated to our school and wire that I repurposed from other people’s past projects to create flowers to add interest to the piece.
A series of three paintings show a woman in three stages. One has only nerves and a spiral of skin. The second has a skeleton, and the final one has a fully-formed body without limbs.
“The Journey of Self-Love” (Acrylic)
Lea Seifert, Reeths-Puffer High School
My pieces are meant to capture the journey of self-love. Starting at a place of negativity and self hatred, one may feel fragmented while their spirt is trapped by the cage of emptiness within them. Moving onto a state of neutrality, a person does not necessarily love themself or hate themselves; they simply see their body as a vessel for the soul. In the last stage of self-love, a person has positive feelings towards themselves and have become whole which allows the spirit to be fully embraced.
A Manji (swastika) symbol has been covered with metallic tape that says "Sorry this message has been censored to your own preconceptions. Your hatred is a mirror."
“Unity” (Mixed Media)
Hopper Miller, Spring Lake High School
Understanding before judgement. Was that your reaction? Were you inclined to understand or judge first? I fear that as humans we are more prone to judgement as a default and don’t make enough room for understanding. Gaining knowledge instigates empathy, compassion and a more holistic, productive view of the world around us. I’ve chosen the manji (swastika) symbol to use in this piece because in Buddhist traditions it’s a symbol for peace, prosperity and unity. However, in other contexts it’s viewed as a symbol of hate and antisemitism. I was struck by this realization on a recent trip to Thailand. The symbol was a common place, no different from a Christian cross. I hope this work challenges viewers to see things from a different perspective and maybe try and understand before passing judgement.
Painting of a waterfall over rocks into a pond surrounded by yellow grass and a tree.
“Where the Water Falls” (Acrylic)
Makenna Russell, Whitehall High School
In my art piece, I created a simple waterfall by using a unique technique. My process for this piece was by using acrylic paint but only focusing on two contrasting colors, which in this painting it were blue, and orange. My process also included creating this piece using only a pallet knife, which gave the painting a different texture and detail. The colors being opposites work together to capture the beauty in nature from a different perspective than what we’re used to.
A dream catcher made of stained glass in various shades of blue
“Dream” (Glass and Ceramic)
Valeria Castro, Fremont High School
When looking at a dream catcher people focus on the initial beauty, but forget there is a deeper meaning. My inspiration for this piece was my English teacher, and I wanted to create piece that represented her and the person she is. A dream catcher was the perfect choice because it symbolizes peace, hope, belief, and eternity. While creating this piece I specifically chose the color blue for two reasons (1) blue give a sense of peace and hope which reminds me of my English teacher (2) it also represents nighttime which is when a dream catcher is used. I learned that ever piece of artwork has a deeper meaning than what is seen on the outside.
Pencil drawing of a young woman in a cable knit sweater and necklace
“Glimpse of Me” (Pencil)
Liberty Malone, Grant High School
This piece was really enjoyable for me. I wanted to see how much detail I could put into a drawing. I found the most detailed sweater I had and took a picture of myself wearing it. It was a long process, but I enjoyed it. I made sure to make the texture in the sweater clear in the way it was woven. After quite a few hours of insanity, it became my favorite piece.
A black man staring with bees covering his face
“Bees” (Watercolor & Graphite)
Katelyn Lotz, Hesperia High School
I made this piece using watercolor paints and graphite pencils. The picture I used inspired me because the obscurity of the bees being on the man’s face was appealing. I chose to do the bees in color because I want the viewer to focus on the fear being faced. I also chose to do a man of color because recent events have been taken to help bring equality among races and I think that this art piece shows my support.
A person leans against a sick, staring at the viewer. A black bar covers their eyes. Colors are muted.
“Refugee” (Mixed Media)
Jessica Martin, Mona Shores High School
When creating my Mixed Media Social Issues artwork, my goal was to express the issues refugees face as much as possible. I did so by blacking out the faces of my figues to hide their identity because refugees are often forgotten. I also wanted to picture the mood of sadness and despair they face for any reason they needed to abandon their homes such as their political or religious beliefs, ethnicity, war, or natural disasters.
Magazine and newspaper cutouts and a pencil drawing form the base of the Amazon building in downtown Muskegon.
“On Western” (Mixed Media)
Soli Gordon, Muskegon Catholic Central High School
First I had to take a photo of the Amazon building in down town Muskegon. Then I edited the photo before I printed it out as a 16×20 poster. I cut the building out and stuck the photo onto the canvas. Then I began to stitch with neutral brown thread onto the canvas. I stitched the building outline, then windows, bricks, and window panes. Finally, I drew with pencils the right side of the Amazon building onto the canvas.
Painting of a oung person falling asleep in front of a laptop in their kitchen/. A mechanical pencil is in their hand, ready to take notes.
“3AM” (Gouache)
Evelyn Garcia, Muskegon High School
I wanted to show how many students including me have had a hard time adjusting to online learning with the start of covid and all. I would spend most of my nights trying to catch up on piles of assignments and would occasionally fall asleep. It’s even more difficult to catch up in classes since the number assignments just seem to grow as the days go by.
A yellow figure with a red bandana covering their mouth and a chain surrounding their head like a halo has red tears streaming from their eyes.
“La Resistencia” (Mixed Media)
Flor Quiñones, OAISD Careerline Tech Center
The piece in commemoration of the youth fallen by the oppressive persecution in Venezuela in 2014. The work and technique imitate the use given to spray paint during the protests, it was the strongest medium of expression, used to trace symbols and names of people fallen on the streets.
A three dimensional T-Rex head pops out of the foliage in this background.
“T-rex” (Paper mache)
River Creed, Orchard View High School
I created this dinosaur using multiple mediums. The first layer consists of cardboard and tin foil. Then, I added 3 layers of paper mache. Then, I made and glued on close to 2,500 hot glue scales. Finally, I painted.
A painting of ducks in a pond appears in a duck-shaped recess into a wooden board that has been burned.
“Autumn’s Eye” (Wood & Acrylic)
Autumn Morton, Ravenna High School
I really enjoyed making this art project and I put a lot of work into it. Over eight weeks I created this piece, I first started by tracing out my duck on a piece of wood, and little by little I used a wood dremal to carve it out. I then sanded it down, burned the wood, stained the wood, and added many layers of paint making my mallard duck landscape in the inside. I chose to make this with a duck because it reminds me of something that relaxes me and makes me happy, duck hunting just distracts me from everything just like art. I had a lot of fun making this, it let me try new things and represent a fun hobby while pursuing my love of art at the same time.
A young woman with pigtails sits in a chair, smiling at the viewer.
“Erika Guerrero” (Graphite)
Esmeralda Guerrero, Shelby High School
The portrait in this picture is of my little sister Erika Guerrero. I made this art because Erika is very dear to me and will always hold a special place in my heart. She is someone that has encouraged me to accomplish the things that I dream of fulfilling.
A young woman in a red dress and black boots looks at the viewer while seated on top of a young child's plastic slide.
“The Duality of Man” (Acrylic)
Lydia Geigle, White Cloud High School
The inspiration for this was to show that though I’m getting older, I refuse to be an adult. That’s overdone, but I thought it would be funny, and now it’s just too powerful. My main goal for art is to confuse and frighten the audience, bestowing upon them a emotional experience unmatched by any other event.