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150 celebration talent show had a little bit of everything

From musical acts to some smooth karate moves, the talent show at Wednesday's 150 celebration had it all.

Various talents came out to show off their hard work and bring a smile to all who attended.Helen Torok, committee talent show producer, brought some of her own talents, singing along with guitarist Len Brunson and Kyle O'Brien on the saxophone. Throughout the night, David Westrip assisted dancers and singers by playing along on the keyboard."That's what I love," Torok said about organizing the event. She performed in Jim Thorpe for more than 20 years before moving to Lehighton."I connect with people and enjoyed all the creativity," Torok said.Notable acts included tap-dancer Makayla Sabatino, Marcia Smith singing patriotic songs dedicated to the United States and other areas of the world, and Mylee Hauser who blew the audience away with her extreme vocals on "Tomorrow" from the musical "Annie."The theme of the love of creativity ran high throughout the night."It's my favorite style," said Sabatino, who has danced since she was 3 and currently dances tap, jazz and ballet at Dance With Kim."I love singing and acting," said Hauser, who also does plays with the Pale Moon Players and the Zion Opera Workshop. She also sings at her church and sang the national anthem at the 150 celebration coaster races.Smith dedicated her performance to the armed forces, schools, Israel, and all those affected by acts of mass violence and hate around the world.The Evolution of TNT also added to the fun of the talent show. Performing two acts with girls of all ages, the group danced to a multitude of songs.Their first performance included "I Got You" by James Brown, "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas, "YMCA" by the Village People, and "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" by Silento, a little Michael Jackson and "Grease." They later came back out with a light suit dance performance.Other acts included Jean Andrews from the American Dream Band, who sang "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston, and "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline, and some karate moves from the Mountain Karate Academy.At the end, Torok made sure nobody was a loser, by handing out several medals and awards to many of the acts and even gift cards to several members of the audience just for coming out."I wanted to rejuvenate the town," Torok said, and it seems like that's exactly what she did.

A dance crew from TNT Studio of Dance in Lehighton performs a routine during the talent show Wednesday night in the Houser Building. TAYLOR KOCHER/TIMES NEWS