Long Beach Catholic School students are Idol-ized

The annual show opened with a skit from American Idol, with students playing the parts of judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres, who got the opportunity to give a thumbs up or down to their principal, Veronica Danca, who exercised her vocal cords on an aria from “The Little Mermaid.”

“They judged me not very kindly, but I’m not going to go there, I’m over it,” Danca said with a laugh. “Although Simon did say I was brilliant.”

The show was the Long Beach Catholic Regional School’s 6th Idol-Talent show on Friday, May 21, which features middle school students competing in song, dance and instrumental categories

Sixth-grade teacher Mike McCarthy played emcee Ryan Seacrest, and another teacher, Jackie Priestley, performed a special singing presentation accompanied by the Hopettes, a group of fourth grade girls.

But the night belonged to the finalists, including the first-place dancers the Celtic Dancers: Mairead Brown, Ryan Brown, Emily Foley, Tara Noble, Ciaran O’Brian and Mikayla O’Brien, Caitlyn Pyle, Delaney Pues and Erin Smith, who danced to “Fire Burning.”

First-place singers The Fozziez: Blaise Buffelino, Conor Carey, Daniel Pyle, Tyler Tamulinas and Dillon Radin, who performed “One Day.”

First place instrumentalist Hannah Nardone played “Rondo All Turca” on piano, and got a standing ovation.

Singers Alexis Farina, who belted out “Don’t Stop Belevin,” and Sal Isola, who sang “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” took second-place.