Casa Grande’s infamous Gaucho Quarterly event, also known as Gauchella, debuted this year on May 3rd. Mr. Wiggert and AJ Ferrando, hosts of the charity event, started off the night with a breaking news segment revealing the contestants for the event. The four main participants, Ava Naworski, Abbey Sawyer, Seamus Dirrane, and Rona Hansen each had to perform a song, skit, and special talent for the fun-filled night.
The contestants began with an opening dance number to “Something Big” by Shawn Mendes, creating an exciting buzz in the audience. The first contestant to perform their lip-synced song was Ava Naworski as Justin Bieber with a feature from Mr. Weaver, sporting a bright pink tutu and wig. Next up was Abbey who used the whole stage to her advantage while performing “Material Girl” by Madonna. Seamus and his backup dancers got the whole audience bopping their heads to “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. Last but not least was Rona’s on-stage synchronized swimming performance with her friends all dressed in their best swimming gear, which had the audience smiling and laughing at their creative swimming techniques.
After each performance concluded the contestants went up to the hosts of the evening to answer questions and, most importantly, inform the viewers about the charity they chose to support. The charities the contestants chose, respectively, were Una Vida, The Trevor Project, The Vincero Organization, and North Bay Animal Services. The audience would vote for their favorite performance by donating to the charity the contestants chose.
Next up on the agenda was skits! Ava a.k.a Justin Bieber performed “Maria” for her skit.
Abbey and Seaumus showcased their acting skills—Abbey and Breezy Garcia did a partner scene while Seamus and his supporting actor performed an original scene dubbed the “Party Rizz” skit. Rona’s group acted out a promposal scene with Raymond Wang asking Sammy Coopersmith, all done up in a dress and wig, to prom and whisking him off stage while the rest of the group played as a band off to the side of the stage. The crowd enjoyed each skit and had some good laughs.
The event was paused for an intermission, allowing the students to go around the audience to collect donations for their charities. Guests also were able to grab a snack or drink from the snack booth while deciding which contestant they would be voting for and donating to. Once the intermission concluded the last of the performances would be the contestants’ special talents.
Ava started the special talents sections with a solo, acoustic performance of “Baby”. Abbey sang “Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan while her escort Anabella Thatcher played the guitar and sang along as well. Seamus had some magic tricks he showcased and Rona and her group of Backstreet Boys danced to “I Want It That Way”.
As the event was coming to an end it was finally time to announce the winners of the night and who had raised the most money for their charity. Mr. Weaver and AJ announced Rona as the winner for the night, raising around $500 for her charity, North Bay Animal Services. “I loved Rona’s performance, it was so good. The chemistry between Raymond and Sammy was off the charts, and I thought they did a good job. They committed to the bit hard,” said senior Maaz Khan when reflecting back on the event. Overall the event was a success, raising over $2800 for the charities and for Casa. Parents and students alike had a great time and walked away with a smile on their faces.
