“Shap Show, No Suits Allowed” extends past retirement

Charlie Warner, Opinions Editor

On Feb. 6, the Artists Theater hosted the 28th and possibly final No Suits Allowed, also known as the “Shap Show.” For those who aren’t aware, No Suits Allowed is a musical talent show hosted annually by our recently retired math teacher Mr. Gary Shapiro, or Shap, a term of endearment. Students are encouraged to perform old classics, new hits or even original, student composed work, all the while being accompanied by the warm sounds of Mr. Shapiro’s fingerstyle guitar. This year truly had an all-star line up; while the majority of performers were current students, they also ranged from 4-year alumni to even an 8th grader!
Opening the show, Shap charmed the audience with an Eagles classic “Take it Easy.” From there, several acts exemplified musical achievement and outstanding performance.
There were so many incredible performances this year that all of the fantastic performances could not be mentioned here.
Then there was Steve “Bogie” Bogusiewicz. Performing two songs, Bogie brought the house down. After “5 Years” and “Big Tears,” junior Vivian Gould soothed and moved the audience with “Addicted to You,” originally by Avicii.
Then came seniors Daniel Black and Chad Kanner, who performed the classic alternative song “In an Aeroplane Over the Sea.” The duo sang and played trumpet, impressing the crowd with technical precision.
Closing the first act, Marianna Krumrine, Nina Larson and Elijah Meisse captivated the audience with their rendition of the Pink Floyd song “Breathe.”
After the masses returned from getting refreshments, the show resumed with the awesome power of Liam Yates’ guitar and Shap’s timeless singing, playing “Main Street.” Yates played in a total of five different acts, showing the wide range of his talent.
Another act with incredible guitar playing was “Depth Over Distance,” performed freshmen by Charlie Dickerson and Addie Briggs. Dickerson’s creative guitar playing provided both rhythm and bass lines for the song.
As the show winded down, Kobe Henderson’s band performed an exhilarating rendition of “Adam Raised a Cane,” a classic hard rock tune that had everyone head-banging the whole way through. After what seemed like the evening’s crescendo, Shap called all previous performers back to the stage to perform a touching and memorable tribute to the late David Bowie. As the musicians chimed in on each chorus, a cocktail of emotion and elation flooded the theater, followed by roaring applause.
After the event, Shap was greeted with praise from former students and parents alike, as well as admiration and thanks from adoring members of the show. A considerable amount of seniors were in attendance, who were particularly appreciative for the show, as all of the proceeds of the show go to fund the Safe and Sober Senior Grad Night.
As a senior, I would like to thank Mr. Shapiro for his dedication to helping our class of 2016, as well as supporting all the graduation classes past.
More importantly, thank you, Mr. Shapiro and all Shap Show participants, for giving LBHS a platform to enjoy incredible musical talent from our wonderfully gifted student body. All in all, the 28th No Suits Allowed was a night to remember.