Six of Boston College’s a cappella groups filled Robsham Theater with unique combinations of carefully crafted harmonies, booming beatboxers, and shining soloists who stole the stage on Saturday night.
Each group showcased its personal style with unique song choices and on-stage charisma that captivated the audience.
The inaugural A Cappella Showcase benefited The Morgan Center, a nonprofit preschool program for young children battling cancer.
First to take the stage was Black Experience in America Through Song (B.E.A.T.S.), BC’s only R&B and soul a cappella group, which began with a harmonious performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” written by James Weldon Johnson.
The group then sang “When I See U,” starring a passionate solo performance by Silvia Ballivian, MCAS ’23. The crowd went wild when the background voices paused and allowed Ballivian’s vocals to shine as she showcased skillful high-notes.
Following B.E.A.T.S. were the BC Acoustics, who began with a mesmerizing rendition of “Habits (Stay High)” by Tove Lo, featuring soloist Myla Pellegrini, MCAS ’25. A soulful performance of “Comfortable” by Alessia Cara followed, and the group finished off with “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. The group commanded the audience’s attention with powerful vocals and a shining stage presence.
The Bostonians of Boston College were next. The group began with “This is Gospel” by Panic! At The Disco, with soloist JV Fluehr, MCAS ’23, delivering an impressive performance while charming the crowd and encouraging them to sing along. The group sang “In the Kitchen” by Reneé Rapp with emotional and captivating vocals from soloist Emma Schaufus, MCAS ’23.
After the Bostonians exited the stage, a video began to play on the theater’s screen, introducing The Morgan Center. In the video, cancer survivor Morgan Zuch explained her isolating experience with childhood leukemia and how this inspired her family to begin The Morgan Center, a learning center allowing pre-school–aged children with cancer to socialize with others in a safe environment. The Morgan family then came onto the stage, giving updates on the center’s progress and informing the audience on how they could contribute.
The Common Tones, who dressed to impress in black dresses and suits, brought the audience back into the action. The group began with “Drops Of Jupiter” by Train, and the singers’ upbeat personalities shined through as they bopped and swayed to the music.
They followed with a lively performance of “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and finished with “Valerie” by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse.
The BC Dynamics immediately captivated the audience with a performance of “All For Us” by Labrinth and Zendaya, with soloists Angelina Coles, MCAS ’24, and Laryssa Gazda, MCAS ’24, delivering strong vocals as the background singers layered their voices to perfectly hit each iconic piece of the song. The group finished with their upbeat, pop rendition of “Golden” by Harry Styles.
To close out the show, The Heightsmen took the stage donning their matching maroon-and-gold striped ties. The group began with a compelling performance of “Lost in Japan” by Shawn Mendes and followed with “Gravity” by John Mayer. Confident soloist Rory Redmond, CSOM ’24, thanked everyone for coming between verses.
The group finished with the country-pop song “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift, and the crowd went wild to see the all-male group embracing their Swiftie side with an iconic girlhood song.
