Dr. Harriton is more than just a talent show, to say the least. Besides being an opportunity for contestants to share their unique abilities with Harriton, it’s a huge fundraiser and an exciting show for all to enjoy. This year’s 18th annual show was a resounding success, raising over $60,000 for local causes such as the Lower Merion Township Scholarship Fund (LMTSF) and Jerseys4Kids.
Jerseys4Kids is a charity started by Harriton alum Massimo (Massi) Agosti who was diagnosed with metastatic osteosarcoma, an extremely rare form of bone cancer. The charity provides sports jerseys and other sports-related memorabilia to kids battling cancer to help raise their spirits during treatment. In addition to this, Jerseys4Kids helps fund osteosarcoma research.
In Dr. Harriton, each of the 10 contestants represented a specific video game to align with the show’s theme of “Game On.” Throughout the night, contestants competed for the acclaimed title of “Dr. Harriton.” Most of the acts included dancing and singing, showcasing the contestants’ unexpected talents.
Starting off strong, Megan Nieh (“Wii Sports,”) excited the audience with her ability to flawlessly play tennis while using a variety of objects as her racket. I appreciated the uncontrollable aspect of this, as obviously each time it was rehearsed there were different outcomes. There was no way to know exactly how the act would go when on stage.
Next, Bryce Siegel (“Subway Surfers”) confidently took the stage, showing off his skateboarding skills which I, for one, was quite impressed by. He then proceeded to perform an up-beat dance and lip sync to various Justin Bieber songs with the show’s choreographers, Ilana Illfelder and Noa Caplan.
In a clever act titled “Skit Season,” Ethan Ruderman (“Papa’s Pizzeria”) portrayed a contestant who couldn’t find a performance-worthy act. As he and his friends thought up idea after idea, Ethan ironically showed the audience his talents, including stand-up comedy and singing. According to him, though, none of them were “good enough” to be performed at Dr. Harriton.
Christina Zhang (“Monopoly Go”) played “This Is Me” on the piano as her friends danced beside her on the stage after a flute and violin performance. After a minute or so of playing the piano, she stood up and began singing with the dancers behind her. As she walked off the stage, the audience was, without a doubt, dazzled. She placed third.
I remember thinking, “What is this?!” when an operatic song began playing over the auditorium speakers. Henry Carson and his friends (“Pac-Man”) walked out and set up a screen resembling water in the middle of the stage. The group began to pop up above the “water” with swim caps and goggles, resembling synchronized swimmers. The audience was hysterical. It was so random and out-of-the-blue that it was hilarious.
The 2025 winner of the “Dr. Harriton” title, Sam Beh, was Fireboy from “Fireboy and Watergirl.” He and his friend William Reisner laced up their rollerblades and skated across the stage. They then brought out ribbon wands, once again creating a lively performance for the audience to enjoy. Sam certainly deserved to win.
Autumn Gordon, joined by friends (“Pokémon GO”), dressed in all black but had glow sticks attached to their costumes. When the lights suddenly turned off, they looked like colorful stick-figures: a classic number. As they danced and glowed, Autumn rapped a thrilling hip-hop song. She received second place.
The “Just Dance” contestant, Vaughn Burke, set up a mirror and a caboodle with makeup and began a “get ready with me” parody. He applied makeup while telling the audience about “the new girl” at school and how he invited her to sit with him at lunch despite her entanglement with Vaughn’s “boyfriend”. After the vlog, he and his friends performed the infamous “Jingle Bell Rock” dance from Mean Girls.
It couldn’t have been a show without a Taylor Swift homage! Russell Chau, (“Guitar Hero”) wearing a Fearless-inspired sparkly vest, brought out a guitar, sat on the edge of the stage, and began playing “You Belong With Me.” The audience joined in as he excited them with his dance moves and singing.
To close out quite an entertaining evening, Musa Khan and friends, (“Mario Kart”) danced a traditional Pakistani dance while wearing traditional Pakistani clothing. If this was not exciting enough, there were multiple flips and tricks worked into the dance which stunned the audience, as well as one of Musa’s friends aggressively drumming in the background.
Overall, the 2025 Dr. Harriton was an inspired evening filled with comedic gold and raw talent from all 10 contestants.
I interviewed a few people who attended, and everyone enjoyed it. Specifically, Maya Avera-Breslin said the show was “engaging and exciting.” Her favorite parts included the partner dances and the funny but relatable aspect of the show. Maya also said that an idea for a future year’s theme could be Outer Space and that each contestant could be a planet.
Because this was my first time seeing Dr. Harriton, I thought it was just a regular talent show. Needless to say, it far exceeded my limited expectations. The enthusiasm from both the performers and the audience was unmatched. I loved watching the contestants’ goofy intro videos and their impressive acts. I thought the show was very well done, especially considering that it was completely student-run. I would certainly recommend attending Dr. Harriton in the future!
