Every year, students from across grades showcase their skills at Scarsdale High School’s talent show, Jabberfest. Usually these acts range from dance troupes to singing to gymnastics to playing musical instruments— quite an array of different performances. This year, Jabberfest is on April 11th, and welcomes 75 participants that are involved in 48 different acts.
In fact, it is common for some performers to perform many different acts. “I’m performing for the dance team, but I’m also performing an individual K-pop dance with my friend,” Angelina Liu ‘27 notes. Louis Basso ‘25 shared, “I’m singing a musical theater duet with a friend of mine to Agony from Into the Woods, and I’m performing two more times in the fourth period,”. Jabberfest hosts an audience filled with excitement, so who wouldn’t want to perform?
Jabberfest has been a tradition for several decades. “It started long before I got here, [which was] 28 years ago”, according to SHS English Teacher, Jabberwocky advisor, and Jabberfest coordinator Mr. Mounkhall. It started 40 years ago as the brainchild of a former SHS English teacher Jeanne Cooper. In the beginning, it was held in a coffee house in front of an exclusive crowd. As more students became interested, it grew into a school-wide event. Jabberwocky, the literary magazine club at Scarsdale High School, first had the idea to turn their creative ideas from the magazine into an event with musicians and live performances.
In order to perform at Jabberfest, aspiring artists have to submit a proposal, and wait for approval. “We had around 53 proposals, and we were able to fit like 48 to 49 of them in. And the people who didn’t get those last four had several other ones,” Mounkhall added.
There is a lot of preparation that goes into making Jabberfest a success. Jabberwocky officers Zoe Greenberg ’25, Emaan Zaidi ’25, Juliana Chavis ’25, Arya Goyal ’25, and Nadia Ahsan ’25 are the students to thank for putting on the show. They have all worked hard to make Jabberfest a memorable moment for everyone. Dr. Graybill and the stage crew have done great work, as the technical aspects of the show have improved substantially such as Camille Lombaerde ’25 who will help manage the auditorium’s lights and sounds. Other Jabberwocky members will be running the show, helping to take photos, coordinate backstage, and communicate on headsets.
Although obvious from the influx of students, Jabberfest is something special that students at Scarsdale High School will always look forward to. Each period this year, Jabberfest is going to host 750 students in the audience. “I do feel like sometimes Scarsdale doesn’t have a lot of spirit, but with Jabberfest, everybody is always there. It’s also really incredible to watch people perform,” Louis Basso ’25 reflects. Furthermore, there is a community aspect, “I like performing on stage, but also it’s really fun to be able to practice and learn a dance with your friends,” Angelina Liu ’27 mentions.
With its vibrant atmosphere and alluring performances, students across all grades are excited to see what the show can offer for us this year. Everyone can’t wait for the performances!
