Who has what it takes to lead Mount OlympAce? That was the question posed throughout the past three months, being finally answered on January 26th when LM hosted its 14th annual Amazing Ace event. Amazing Ace is a charity fundraiser event, this year being themed around Greek mythology. An LM tradition since 2010, the show featured numerous entertaining segments including a partner dance, catwalks, acapella performances, a live band, a contortion act, a game show, and even an Elvis impersonation. The event, hosted by emcees Vivian Collins ’24, Anna Howard ’24, and Esme Oxman ’24, was headlined by eight wonderful contestants, each representing a Greek god: Elias Dutwin ’24 as Poseidon, Danielle Esan ’24 as Apollo, Klara Hinze ’24 as Athena, Charlie Kurland ’24 as Hermes, Chloe Mills ’24 as Demeter, Kayden Weinstock ’24 as Aphrodite, Talia Kasner ’25 as Artemis, and Leonor Pheulpin ’25 as Hades. Each contestant was not alone in their climb to the top, being joined by their trusty sidekicks. Jake Wizov ’24, Mariah Cintron ’24, Rhys Applestein ’25, Lila Finch ’24, Jacqui Stuart ’24, Nina Bertrand ’25, Francesca Schnieder ’25, and Allison Ersin ’25 faithfully assisted their respective contestants on and off the stage. “In my opinion, the sidekick’s main goal should be to hype up their contestant and to provide as much support as possible. I really loved being a part of Amazing Ace this year and being able to work alongside someone that I’m close friends with,” Ersin comments. “Having [Allie]’s positive mindset and energy around me made the whole process that much more enjoyable, and I knew that I could count on her to help me give the best performance I could,” Pheulpin adds.
LM’s very own Elvis takes the stage.
Hundreds packed LM’s auditorium on a chilly Friday night, and after a brief introduction, the show began with a short comedy film written and directed by Elle Kudić ’25 and Zoe Stern ’24. The film introduced the audience to the main conundrum of the night: Zeus has left Mount OlympAce, so which god is going to take over as the leader of LM? To decide, a judge panel composed of teachers, students, and an electric crowd watched in amazement as the show progressed. The panel rated contestants based on their dancing skills, Q&A answers, talent performance, and their ability to strut a catwalk.
Worries about the success of Amazing Ace started from the beginning, as event coordinator Mrs. Christman would not be in school for the entirety of the production process. Considering the amount of work that she puts into ensuring that the show is perfected, there was an underlying feeling of uneasiness within the cast and crew. Despite this setback, the hard work of everyone involved formed Amazing Ace 2024 into a tremendous success. Stage manager Juliana Messinger ’24, her assistants Ava Grandwetter ’24 and Dylan Silberman ’25, and directors Emmie Luo ’24 and Adina Olson ’24 put together a cast of resilient production and design staff to make this night possible. Messinger recalls her experience during the show process: “I would say that the most challenging part of this show was putting it all together. With Mrs. Christman being out of the building, it put more work onto the contestants, the sidekicks, the designers, and we all were definitely feeling that, but everyone handled it incredibly well. Considering that we only had one shot to perform, we just had to hope that it all went well, and it did. At the end it was incredible to relax as everyone celebrated on the stage and felt proud of what we accomplished.”
The work of the team of designers and choreographers is evident throughout the production. As the contestants and their sidekicks performed dances, expertly choreographed by Sara Aagaard ’26, Marae Hill ’24, Natalie Chen ’24, Yael Habari ’24, and Tess Millrood ’24, they donned impressive costumes created by designers Nicky Silverstein ’25 and Audrey Smith ’26. Amazing Ace was admirable from a technical perspective as well. The screens and teleprompter operated by Griffin Schlabach ‘25 and Ally Treves ‘25 allowed for the emcees to not have to worry about memorizing a script. The whole show sounded crisp and clear thanks to sound designer Nate Warren’s ’25 work behind the board, and lighting designers Talia Earl ’25 and Sam Fenning ’25 worked long hours in the auditorium to program a display of lights worthy of its own show. “We worked really hard to make sure that we executed each contestant’s vision perfectly and that each act was unique in its own way. It was definitely challenging when it came to the long hours, but also extremely rewarding to see our finished product go smoothly and look beautiful on the night of the show,” Earl exclaimed. Of course, despite her physical absence, the show would not have been possible without the endless support that Christman provided. Advising during the entire production process, putting up posters advertising the show, and hearing out lots of crazy ideas doesn’t begin to explain how essential she is to the Amazing Ace process year after year.
The night concluded with the crowd at the edge of their seats, as the winners of Amazing Ace 2024 were crowned. Kasner took home the charity crown after raising over $4000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society thanks to her tireless efforts and dedication for fundraising. Finally, Esan was named the ruler of Mount OlympAce, marking the emotional end to a project which many people poured their hearts into. “That last week of rehearsals, that was when we really became a little family. We were all having tons of fun up there on the stage, and that made this an incredible experience,” Esan remarks. The Amazing Ace 2024 serves as a reminder to how important this tradition is to LM’s history, not only as an impactful fundraising event, but also as a unique opportunity available for every student to collaborate on a project they are passionate about. Now, all we can do is wait for the curtain to rise on Amazing Ace 2025.
