Recap of ERHS' 2026 Winter Showcase

Last Friday, January 30th, Eagle Rock’s annual Winter Showcase brought the entire art department together to put on a show celebrating student work! If there’s one thing Eagle Rock isn’t lacking, it’s talent. From stunning visual art to unforgettable performances, here’s a recap of everything that took place on stage that night! 

All photos by Eva Jones

The show opened with Noteworthy, our school’s vocal group, with a cover of “Creep” by Radiohead. Throughout the show, they also sang songs “The Subway” by Chappell Roan and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John. The amount of effort and practice behind their performances was unmistakable–their harmonies were impressive as always, their voices blended seamlessly together, and the soloists nailed their moments. 

Ms. Silverman’s band classes kept us in the winter mood with the Orchestra playing “Polar Vortex” by Katie O’Hara LaBrie, and the Symphonic Band playing an arrangement of “Polar Express” by Alan Silvestri. Both performances were executed incredibly well, evoking a sense of nostalgia that made it hard not to miss the holidays. Other instrumental numbers included the pre-show’s Latin Jazz band and the intermission’s Jazz Combo, which was a nice way to keep the energy up when the show wasn’t running. 

In between performances, our school’s art teachers had slideshows featuring student work as well as a mini-gallery in the back of the auditorium for the audience to browse during the show’s downtime. Mrs. Maddox’s Painting Class featured students sharing their pieces on video: you could tell every painting was well-made as they sported vibrant colors or deliberate brushstrokes. Her compilation of videos was then followed by sculptures and paintings from Ms. Kelley’s classes, depicting animals with stunning attention to detail.

The show’s second act featured works from Ms. Murphy’s Painting class and Mr. Oliveros’ AP Art class. The former featured abstract works that demonstrated a great understanding of values, shapes, and lines. Soon after, AP Art’s gallery gave photographers their moment to shine as they featured pieces with dramatic lighting and unique compositions. 

Mrs. Okada’s Dance Company saw high-energy performances from both JV and Varsity, the JV team having been newly formed this year. JV performed “Just Keep Watching” by Tate McRae, a catchy, hip-hop focused number that was choreographed by one of the dance program’s students! Later, Dance Company closed the first act with their Homecoming Halftime medley, which never fails to get a crowd hyped. They also danced to “We Found Love” by Rihanna and Calvin Harris, a perfect fit as we begin to start February and look forward to Valentine’s Day.

The show closed with Theatre Company’s Winter Showcase tradition: a performance featuring Ms. Kissam and the seniors. They sang “Chillin the Regrets”, a number from the musical they’ll be performing later in spring, Alice by Heart. With powerful and emotion-filled vocals fitting for musical theatre, they did not disappoint. Their level of polish and sincerity ended an already spectacular show on a memorable note with such an endearing tradition. 

Overall, the Winter Showcase was an engaging and entertaining celebration of both visual and performing arts. Each act really reflected the passion and creativity of Eagle Rock’s students. If you couldn’t watch it this year, make sure to catch it next time! The arts department truly deserves all its flowers for fostering such talented students.