Ear-piercing screams and stomping feet once again characterized the Daniel Boone School District’s 8th Annual Mr. Boone Pageant, which crowned – with a “coon skin cap” – Nick Hunsicker as Mr. Boone 2015.
Subtitled “Guts, Glory & Glitter,” the show featured the video biographies, talent performances, “formalwear,” and “swimwear” of 14 senior contestants at the Daniel Boone High School on April 30.
The Mr. Boone contestants included: Stephen Birmingham, Jaxson Burns, Tom Clothier, Andrew Durso, Chris Ford, Austin Harding, Jim Holowko, Nick Hunsicker, Gary Jones, RK Landis, Jeremy Mysliwiec, Max Neilson, Jesse Powell, and Tyler Wightman.
Hunsicker wowed the packed auditorium with his piano-playing and singing, as well as his “heterosexual” video biography.
But it was Hunsicker’s “showing his true colors” swimwear segment that brought the audience to its feet and ultimately won for him the top cash prize of $500.
Donned in swim trunks and a cape, Hunsicker’s strut to the front of the stage and pose were cheered, but it was his exit – with a toss of glitter in the air – that had the crowd screaming in support.
The seniors’ good, clean fun included video biographies that revealed a “top secret” fact of each contestant – which the audience could later guess “true” or “false” in an on-screen quiz.
Second runner-up, and winner of a $100 cash prize was Birmingham.
He performed “Slam Poetry,” with reference to the class’s inside joke of “gravitina,” “the dark knight (not Batman), “integrity” and that “we are…Boone – not Penn State.”
First runner-up, and winner of a $200 cash prize was Ford.
He said in his video that he is a “country boy” (lie) at heart, and performed about 20 different “Dance Lessons” during his talent segment, which included the Tootsie Roll, Nae Nae, The Whip, The Dougie, Twerking, The Drop, and The Carlton.
Haring dedicated his version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” to his mother, who died last August from pancreatic cancer, and who had said she’d always wanted her son to be in Mr. Boone.
Neilson’s talent was dancing, and he composed a funny video biography about his secret of sleepwalking.
Burns played the cymbals to “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” and also pretended to be a Douglassville superhero in his video biography.
Holowko performed a dramatic dance with swirling ribbons to an operatic song, and said his top pleasure song is chasing “Waterfalls,” by TLC.
School pride was exhibited in two talent routines,
Landis did some “art philly style” of “blue with a little blue” as he painted “DB” for Daniel Boone, and revealed that he has a Black Belt in Karate.
Wightman declared in his talent segment of the Mr. Boone News Update that “We are one – We are DB.”
Clothier said in his biography that he is a tumbler, and silenced the audience with his guitar rendition of “Drops of Jupiter,” by Train.
Jones admitted that he had once won the lottery and sang “can anybody find me ‘Somebody to Love,'” by Queen.
Durso said he will be running in the 2016 Olympics, and twerked on-stage with two female dancers.
Mysliwiec said he would “play with himself” on-stage with the assistance of video editing; he played on video the mellophone, trombone, and tuba, while his real self played the trumpet.
Powell performed a crowd-rousing rap routine after declaring that he enjoys Live Action Role Play (lie).
The men showed off their “formal” sides and were escorted by female classmates dressed in evening gowns.
Escorts included: Kelsey Cubero, Darby Frey, Courtney Galanti, Sophia Guglielmi, Zoe Leader, Brittany Long, Elsie Neilson, Rebecca Nitka, Julia Richey, Sarah Roell, Taylor Savidge, Lani Szimhart, Shelby Vanderslice, and Courtney Vidovich.
During the ballot counting, teacher performances competed and won against The Boone Squad.
Teachers included Jamie Witzel, Erica Parker, Bonita Ebling, Daniela Burgui, Susan Fulmer, Anita Frederick, Nancy Romain, John Thorp, Jason Smaglinski, Justin McCord, and Andrew Haraschak.
The final teacher performance — of a butt-bumping Jitter-Bug dance (and an audience favorite), was performed by McCord and Long Term Substitute Mae Ann Rehrer.
The Boone Squad included Eric Michener, Hunter Theobald, Paul Galanti, Nick Hughes, Jamie Burns, Karissa Zechman, Lauren Reightneour, Lizzy Paglia, Courtney McFetridge, and Madison Vidovich.
Judges were Jill Mentzer, Jeffrey Bailey, Kendra Robinson, John Thorp, and 2013 Mr. Boone Bobby Horman.
Presenters were Kirsten Gabbett and Ryan Young.
Producers were Kelly Jones, Drama Club Advisor, and Alison Fulmer, Senior Class Advisor.
