Western Mass Performs, the Monson Arts Council’s 4TH annual talent show, was staged on Saturday evening to an enthusiastic and interactive crowd. They saw 24 stellar acts perform, representing a new level of quality, and the crowd let them know how much they were enjoying it.

The judges awarded the three advertised prizes, plus three honorable mentions, to some very deserving performers. They were clearly just as impressed as the audience, and could easily have recognized a dozen of the acts for high achievement had they not been limited to three. The three prizewinning acts were just a little bit better.

First prize went to Elca Maranzana, one of two students at the Berkshire Hills Music Academy to be chosen to perform. This wonderful school helps adult students with impediments realize their potential through music; Elca is a sterling example. She performed and sang her own composition, “Lelia”, and though her manner at the piano was serene rather than dramatic, she had the audience in her grip through the power and purity of her voice and keyboard work, and the compelling strength of the song.

Second prize went to the youngest performer on the stage, 9 year old Kayden Behan of East Longmeadow, who captivated everyone with his mastery of the classical guitar. With his dark, flowing, shoulder-length curls and his pinstipe suit and red shirt, he was a striking figure on stage, barely bigger than his guitar. His technique was superb; there were moments when you could close your eyes and imagine you were hearing Segovia or Breem.

Third prize went to a returning favorite, who won honorable mention in last year’s show: Larry Noiva of Tolland, Connecticut. A ventriloquist and stand-up comedian, Larry had the audience in stitches with his repartee with Sal Monella, his alter ego. The climax of the act came as he prepared to take a drink while Sal told a story. Just as the punch line came, Larry took a drink…and NO sound came out of Sal’s mouth. After a pause, Sal said “I HATE when he does that!”

Honorable Mention awards went to three other fabulous acts. There was no particular order among these awards. One went to Coyote Choir, a locally well-known pair of street singers: Paul Gelineau and Tim Desrosiers, both from the Northampton area. Their original song “Stars”, accompanied on the guitar and accordion, was a perfect Valentine’s Day preview, sweet and yearning. Their voices blended so perfectly as to become a single voice.

A second honorable mention went to Dan Mackey of Easthampton for a mind-blowing variety act called “Myndscapers”. Calling himself “Danski”, the guy is a human drum roll, wowing the audience with a combination of virtuoso drumming, gymnastics and break dancing, which culminated in a summersault vault over his drumset.

The third honorable mention went to Etienne Perley, the other representative of the Berkshire Hills Music Academy. Originally from Bolivia, Etienne performed a rousing song called “Chuno”, singing and accompanying himself on the Peruvian Panpipes and the castanets. The haunting throaty sound of the panpipes was perfectly set off by his bright South American serape, creating a memorable overall effect.

A wonderful story was reported by another act, a duo who performed an Abbot and Costello vaudeville routine called “Loafing”. Buster McMahon of Feeding Hills reports scrambling to find a replacement for his original partner, and being helped out of his predicament by a long-estranged friend, Jilian Wood. They now have formed a “beautiful friendship”…based in all likelihood on the fact that she gets to haul off and smack him in the kisser at the end of the routine.

Elca Maranzana

Kayden Behan

Larry Noiva

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