52nd Blackforest a Hit with United College Audience

Talent and tradition took center stage at United College as students wowed the crowd during the 52nd Blackforest event on Saturday, March 29.

This long-standing celebration of student talent had an extra special touch this year, with two of the original founders Larry van Goozen (BASc ‘74) and Eric Hall (BASc ‘74), making the trip from the GTA to attend. The pair first launched Blackforest in 1972, and the event has continued annually ever since, with a brief pause during the pandemic.

“It’s terrific to see that students are still carrying forward this tradition,” said van Goozen. “There’s something very special about seeing this kind of continuity.”

The night featured a wide range of performances, opening with a high-energy set from five-piece band Forever Newt, who played Marry Me, Archie followed by I Don’t Love You. “Well, that relationship didn’t last long!” joked co-emcee Roo Collins, who kept the audience smiling alongside co-host Noor Almahdi.

Don Bethany captivated the audience with a beautifully sung a cappella version of I Could Have Danced All Night, a performance that left the crowd wanting more.

A standout moment came when Elizabeth, Principal Rick’s fifteen-year-old daughter, delivered a powerful rendition of Give Up Your Dreams from School of Rock. Her impressive vocals drew enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Later, the band Quint n Essentials had heads bobbing with their lively version of Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke. Switching gears, Bethany Poltl and Jess Bona, known as the Don Duo, surprised and delighted the audience with a tap dance performance to the hard rock classic Barracuda.

The evening also included several reflective and moving pieces. Andrew Semenenko’s piano solo Interstellar and Jack Arkar and Albert Yang’s violin-piano duet Omari provided quieter, introspective moments. The show closed on a soulful note with RLC Mary’s heartfelt rendition of Make You Feel My Love, no surprise to those who know she holds a degree in music.

“We really enjoyed the show,” said co-founder Eric Hall. “We always had a lot of talented students in residence, it’s great to see that’s still true today.”

United College extends its gratitude to organizers Liam McCrory, Niki Nazary, and Mary Azouz for their work in bringing the 52nd Blackforest Review to life—and to the team at Watson’s for providing the delicious Blackforest cupcakes that sweetened the evening!