Town to show its stuff

SWAMPSCOTT – After the town-wide talent competition took a hiatus, a former and a current town official decided the show must go on.On April 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Swampscott High School auditorium, around 20 acts from the town will show their stuff to benefit the high school.Selectman Glenn Kessler and former selectman David Van Dam took over Swampscott?s Got Talent from the Recreation Commission, who ran the show in 2011 and 2012, but Kessler said “there?s nothing ?selectmen? about this.” Kessler?s and Van Dam?s daughters, Morgan and Madison, respectively, are helping out and also provided the inspiration for where to direct the event?s proceeds: the class of 2015 and the high school robotics program.Morgan Kessler, 16, is in the class of 2015 and said the money will mostly go toward prom, while Madison Van Dam, 15, is part of the robotics program and said proceeds would be applied to parts and an entry fee for an upcoming competition where teams build a life-size robot.At a recent tryout and registration session, a variety of acts, such as a string ensemble, came out to perform. Among them was 15-year-old Sean Bowers, who beatboxed.The high school freshman said the skill emerged six years ago when he was at a camp and saw a video of beatboxing for the first time. Bowers said he wanted to bring something to the competition that people may never have heard.?I know for a fact Swampscott has never seen a beatboxer like me,” he said with a laugh.With the recent popularity of the Disney animated movie “Frozen,” it was no surprise that a few acts sang some of the movie?s songs, like the Academy Award-winning tune “Let It Go.” Sawyer Grillo, 5, went up on stage in a pink dress with a sparkle-trimmed tutu skirt and sang “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from the movie.While Grillo was contemplating the answer to how long she?s been singing, her mother, Rebecca, said to her, “probably since you could talk.”High School Principal Edward Rozmiarek hung in the back of the room – not to supervise but to wait for his chance to exercise his pipes.?I was going to let the little kids go first and get home for bedtime,” he said, adding he would probably sing “The Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha.”As two girls were singing “Let It Go,” Rozmiarek, who has been a part of the group Chorus North Shore for the past 10 years, joked he was glad he didn?t select that tune as well.?It?s good for my range, but the lyrics are more for 6-year-olds,” he said.Other acts chose to show off their dance skills, like Jane Michigan, who performed an Irish step dance. The 11-year-old said she loves “Riverdance.” Milena Mnatsakanyan, 10, did an Armenian folk dance, and she said she?s been dancing under the instruction of her father since she was 3 or 4.Glenn Kessler said no registered act is going to be turned away for the talent show, and it actually won?t be a competition because “when you have judges, you change it into a different vibe.”As for next year, Glenn Kessler said he hopes that the show will be led by high schoolers and continue to be a fundraiser for the school, though he and David Van Dam will help out if needed.?The idea is, it?s our community,” Kessler said. “With these community events, it makes our town a cool place to live.”