Yee-haw!

An active member of the East community, Ethan Barroway can typically be found playing with the Boys Golf Team, showing off his history knowledge, or letting his creative side take over.  Recently, though, he’s been exerting himself through a different kind of physical activity.

Known by his alias, Mr. Big Red, Barroway has decided to pursue his dream career as a cowboy. The name holds a lot of weight for Barroway, reflecting both his ginger hair and his commitment to East spirit.

The choice of profession was a no-brainer as well. Barroway touted his ability to be “rowdy” and a cowboy’s freedom to roam around and do what he desires as his primary motivation for the daring occupation choice.

Barroway has been practicing relentlessly for his April 4 performance.  His rigorous efforts will hopefully ensure that he wins audiences over with his swagger and personal charm, as well as his musical talents.

“I’ve practiced my singing voice, I’ve been practicing with my band, and I’m practicing my dance moves,” he said.

At the peak of his act, Barroway plans to perform a passionate (and patriotic) rendition of “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen.  Barroway believes his demonstrated commitment to his town and country will outshine all other performances.  In fact, he began to throw shade at some of his competitors.

“The least desirable occupation is probably [the] tooth fairy, because you have to go house to house and put [teeth] under pillows. Like, who wants to do that?”

Although he forsees some competition with Mr. Chubs, Barroway remains unphased heading into Friday night.  He has no doubt his competitive and energetic personality will be unmatched, leading him to “steal the show.”

Only time will tell if Barroway’s overwhelming confidence is justified. As for now, Barroway wants as many East students as possible to giddy up for the performance of a lifetime.

Sam Becker – Mr. Sam I Am – drew inspiration from one of his favorite childhood activities.  He grew up reading Dr. Seuss books and so he decided to name himself after Sam-I-Am.  Sam-I-Am is one of the characters from the famous children’s book Green Eggs and Ham by Seuss. 

Many of Becker’s fellow contestants connected their nickname to their occupation, but Becker decided to reference another one of his interests.  He chose to be a rabbi.  

When asked why he chose that occupation he said, “I just love rabbis…I think that is an interesting job to have.” 

In preparation for the competition, Becker has gone through dance rehearsals, written his own script, and decided on the stage lighting for his performance. He believes this, alongside his authenticity, is what makes him the most qualified candidate out of the eight contestants. 

Mr. Congeniality is Becker’s self-declared biggest competition because he is a drag queen, and their acts may be similar. 

Each of the eight contestants has put in the time and effort to make this competition close until the end. There is a variety of acts, from singing and dancing to impressions and secret talents that won’t be revealed until the show. Becker, like almost every other contestant, is most looking forward to winning, come competition day.

Watch the full video to see Becker give a short sneak peek into his act and come support his live performance at the Mr. East show on Friday, April 4.

By day, Aarav Bommu (‘25) serves the community as a police officer — at least through the persona he’s bringing to the Mr. East stage on Friday, April 4, where eight contestants are taking on a theme of “occupations.” By night? That’s a surprise. But one thing is certain: Mr. Jiggletron, Bommu’s Mr. East nickname, is here to entertain. 

With a self-proclaimed “deadly trio” of singing, smiling, and dancing, Bommu seeks to bring joy to the audience. “[My performance] really represents me because I try to be joyful where I can [and] lighten up the mood,” said Bommu.

Choosing his “occupation” as a police officer — only by day, of course — because of his passion for helping others and engaging with the community, Bommu’s emphasis on joy and kindness will permeate the Mr. East atmosphere. After all, Bommu’s relaxed and charismatic approach aligns with his genuine desire to connect with others, not through bravado or competition but through his ability to create a fun and welcoming environment. Whether he’s on stage or off, his focus remains on ensuring everyone is enjoying themselves. Still, Bommu’s primary goal is securing the coveted Mr. East title. Preparing for the big night has been no easy feat. Alongside his group of “goons,” Bommu has been refining his act with long hours of rehearsal.

“We’ve been breaking blood and sweat to get our act together,” said Bommu. “We’re all dancing, grinding and memorizing everything to make our script perfect.”

Ultimately, while Bommu may not know the exact day of Mr. East — incorrectly thinking the event occurs on April 7 instead of April 4 — he certainly knows how to put on a show, and he’s ready to prove it. 

Kevin Garvin (‘25) is competing in this year’s Mr. East competition as Mr. Wonder, a stellar musician. Garvin chose his occupation to be a musician because of his lifelong interest in music, more specifically, drumming. Garvin plans to bring this interest to the stage by including musical instruments in his act.

 “My nickname is Mr. Wonder, so I was named after Stevie Wonder, who was a really prominent artist from back in the day, and so you know I kind of want to bring some of his music to light,” Garvin said.

While most contestants are scrambling to finish their acts with a few days left before the competition, Garvin is feeling quite prepared to conquer the stage. He has been familiar with the drums all his life and has been practicing for a while. Garvin also noted that his dad will be accompanying him on stage playing the guitar, an unforgettable duo that East students cannot wait to see.

Garvin is most looking forward to doing the group dances alongside his fellow competitors, choreographed by the dance chairs, Christina Coen and Pushti Shah.  

“I’m most looking forward to the group dances ’cause I have been practicing along the sides, and we’ll see all together the final product,” Garvin noted.

Adam Leibowitz – better known as Mr. Chubs – poses the biggest threat to Garvin.

“He’s a creative mind, and he’s got a lot of…talent. He’s a smart kid,” Garvin said.

Garvin hopes to see the whole East community at the one-night-only Mr. East competition on Friday, April 4, at 7 PM as the eight creative contestants battle it out for the crown. Bring a friend, buy a ticket, and come support Mr. Wonder as he proves to the school why he should be crowned Mr. East.  

Mr. CHUBS, also known as Adam Leibowitz, will soon compete for the coveted “Mr. East” title. A firefighter, swim captain and Mr. East competitor, CHUBS knows how to demonstrate leadership and courage when the task demands it.

“I just like to save lives… it fills my heart” CHUBS stated in a recent interview where he discussed his occupation as a firefighter. 

The way CHUBS sees it, he “fits the description” of what a Mr. East Candidate should be. Because of his heavy involvement in school activities and care for the school community, CHUBS believes that he should be the next Mr. East.

In addition to his altruism and school spirit, CHUBS is known as a skilled guitarist. He looks forward to shredding when he gets his moment on stage.

If you want to watch Mr. CHUBS’ journey to try and become the next Mr. East, go to East on April 4 for the show!

Take a cross country athlete and Science Olympiad member and liken him to one of history’s most ambitious, intelligent, charismatic and controversial (to his competitors, at least) leaders – Julius Caesar – and get Yul Nam, or Mr. Yulius Caesar, who will be competing for the coveted title of Mr. East on Friday, April 4. 

For this year’s theme of “occupations,” Nam’s chosen profession is president; however, Nam’s original act revolved around President Donald Trump before he ultimately decided to usurp the role of the Roman imperator due to his notoriety as a strong leader. 

But when stripping away his Yulius character, Nam prefers to be more down-to-earth and relaxed. 

“My most desirable [job] would [actually] be house husband – cooking and cleaning… not doing anything except taking care of the house,” Nam said. 

Though he kept the specifics of his talent a secret before the show, Nam said that his act stemmed from a running joke between him and his friends about him being a “femboy”, hinting at the possibility of maid-costumed back-up dancers and K-pop dancing appearing on stage. 

“I’m feeling really unprepared, but I’m thinking, ‘it’s my last year, so no matter what happens, I’ll… be fine,” Yul said, in response to how preparation with his fellow Mr. East candidates is going, citing himself as his own biggest competitor.

Still, despite setbacks along the way, Mr. Yulius Caesar has put in work and is excited for his fans to come out and see him compete for Mr. East on April 4.

Rephael Shohat, known as Mr. So Hot, will be one of the eight candidates competing for the Mr. East title this Friday in the East auditorium. He chose this name to go along with his last name, taking a funny approach to make it Mr. So Hot for the competition. 

As a tooth fairy, Mr. So Hot is most excited to wear a tutu, pull off the complete look, and truly act out the role of his occupation.  

“I think it’s something that people normally wouldn’t do. It’s something that could be more on the comedic side,” said Mr. So Hot.

Mr. So Hot’s act will include a portion as a tooth fairy, continuing into a more theatrical aspect to showcase his love for dancing and performing. He plans on combining these two passions to create an unforgettable act that includes singing, dancing, a pop star moment, and more. 

To prepare for the competition, Mr. So Hot has been practicing his dancing with friends, is working on editing together a collection of music, and overall using his theater knowledge to confidently move around the stage. 

Mr. So Hot feels he is the most deserving of this year’s “Mr. East” title because he knows the stage better than any of the other candidates and knows how to put on a good show that an audience would enjoy. He is most looking forward to showing off his talents and winning the “Mr. East” title at the end of the night. 

Watch the full video to see Mr. So Hot preview parts of his act, and come to the show on Friday to see him perform it live to compete for the Mr. East title!

As opposed to the traditional nine-to-five, Joe Weigle, also known as Mr. Congeniality, clocks in after dark. Embodying a persona caked in thick layers of makeup, false eyelashes, and the occasional wig, Weigle will transform into a drag queen on Friday, April 4, on the Mr. East stage.

Although most individuals might consider drag a niche, unconventional profession, Weigle reveals that it came naturally to him.

“I don’t think I chose this occupation – I think it chose me,” he said.

Through Weigle’s act, he hopes to spread the spirit of congeniality to the East population, modeling kindness and positivity to all of his fans. In addition to the warmth he plans on demonstrating, he also exemplifies the essence of hard work. To prepare for the competition, Weigle has adopted a rigorous schedule to stay on his A-game.

“I’ve been waking up every day at 4 a.m., I’ve been doing ice baths with Saratoga Water and eating bananas. I’ve been doing pre-workout routines, post-workout routines, pre-night routines, post-night routines, afternoon routines and all the like so I can be my best self for this show.”

Weigle remains confident that this intensive preparation will pay off during his performance, believing he will undoubtedly take the crown. Like any other drag queen, he embraces a self-assured mindset.

“I think I have the best performance prowess, the best comedic timing, the most body tea … Just overall, I think I’m on a different level compared to everyone else,” he said.

While Weigle refuses to give away too much information about the grandeur to come in his act, he urges everyone to watch his colorful vision light up the stage. 

“It’s very absurd, very whimsical, very magical. I can’t reveal too much but you better tune in.”