I am judging Zanesville Has Talent on Wednesday. Below is the press release about the event.
Zanesville, OH – They’re warming up their vocal chords, putting on their dancing shoes, and ready to blow their horns! The new Zanesville Has Talent competition will hold the first round of auditions this Wednesday, July 13th a the Muskingum County Conference & Welcome Center, during the Taste of Zanesville. While the competition provides an opportunity for talented artists in the area to showcase their performance abilities, it was actually created to raise funds and awareness for the Keep Kids in School program. Each applicant is required to be a resident, student, or employee in Muskingum County, and there are two age divisions – one for youth, and one for adults. The Junior division is open to ages 6-17, and the Adult Division is for those 18 and over.
“We know that Zanesville has talent, so we created a program to showcase it,” explained Cassandra McDonald with CASS-MIND’s Keep Kids in School initiative, a non-profit organization geared toward promoting healthy decision-making and life-planning for youth. “The feedback has been positive, so we are creating a series of auditions in order to accommodate the number of artistic performers who wish to share their talents.”
The auditions will be open to the public, with tickets available for just $2. Registration Applications will continue to be available at the Muskingum County Conference & Welcome Center (205 N. Fifth St., in downtown Zanesville), at Colony Square Mall, and online at www.ItsHappeningInZanesville.com. Once all auditions are complete, the top ten scoring acts of each division will be notified to participate in the Finals later this summer.
“As we strive to define Zanesville-Muskingum County as an entertainment destination, it seems only natural that we will serve as the host site for the competition,” said Vicki Maple, Executive Director of the Muskingum County Convention Facilities Authority at the Welcome Center. “Space is limited so we would like to remind the public that tickets for the auditions are available in advance, and we anticipate a full-house so it’s a good idea to call ahead for ticket reservations.”
Maple also emphasized the competition timelines and the limited number of audition slots available for contestants. “Pre-registration is required, so we have already secured all of the contestants for this audition on Wednesday, but we are still accepting applications for the next audition coming up in a few weeks.” To follow are the contestants in the order in which they will audition this week, beginning at 6:00 p.m.:
JR Andrew Williams, Vocal, Marry You by Bruno Mars
JR Hannah Watson, Vocal, Cowboy Sweetheart by LeAnn Rimes
JR Jenna Smith, Vocal, Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland
JR Emily Shirley, Vocal, White Horse by Taylor Swift
JR Matthew Pitcock, Saxophone Solo, Duke Ellington Medley
A Emily Al-Khani, Vocal
A Gretchen Black-Sibert, Dance, Beautiful by Christina Aguilera
A Shelley Burley & Aaron Lashley, Vocal Duet, The Prayer by Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion
A Robby Cordle, Vocal, It’s Still Rock & Roll to Me by Billy Joel
A Satisfaction Robot Dance (Mathew Cotrell, Joshua Mason, & Justin Estep), Dance, Satisfaction by Benny Benassi
JR Madeline Mason, Vocal, If I Never See Your Face Again by Maroon 5
JR Jesse Kinder, Vocal, Baby Girl by SugarLand
JR Jocee Janicki, Vocal/Piano, The Climb by Miley Cyrus
JR Hailie Hreha, Sign Language, Father Can You Heart Me by Tyler Perry
JR Tori Green, Vocal, My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion
A Beautiful Sisters (Lydia Black & Gretchen Black-Sibert), Dance
A George Dailey, Vocal, Teddy Bear by Red Sovine
A Cathy Goss, Vocal, Living in the Rain
A Jennifer Kern, Vocal, Then You Look at Me by Celine Dion
A Kristen LaFollette, Vocal, Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera
JR Devin Gee, Vocal, Pumpkin Man by Mike Perkins
JR Tilli Campbell, Saxophone Solo, Star Spangled Banner Alto Sax Solo
JR Lydia Black, Dance, Underground by Avril Lavigne
JR Tiffany Beck, Vocal, Happy by Leona Lewis
JR Sumiyyah Bailey, Vocal, Amazing Grace
A Amanda Lanning, Vocal, Jar of Heart by Christina Perry
A David Love Jr., Vocal
A Rich Nelson, Vocal, Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts
A Julie Noe, Vocal, Power of Love by Celine Dion
A Hayley Watson, Vocal, Turn on the Radio by Reba McEntire
A Steve Zemba, Vocal, Wolves by Garth Brooks
“We wish to reiterate that this is not just a singing competition, and it’s not just for solo performers,” McDonald explained. “We will follow guidelines similar to that of the popular television show America’s Got Talent, and we also permit an individual to register as both a Solo Act and as a Group if he or she wishes. It’s really all about an opportunity to showcase your skill.”
A celebrity panel of judges has been secured for the competition; each with impressive performance and entertainment-based credentials, and all from outside of Zanesville-Muskingum County. The adjudicators for the auditions this week are:
· Judy Kyees – Judy has been active in the entertainment industry for the past forty years. As owner/ operator of a production & talent management company, her clients have gone on to pursue professional careers, appearing in National Broadway touring companies, movies, television, cruise ships, and casino shows, as well as at Disney, Tokyo, Opryland, and on Broadway. Judy has also been successful in producing and directing pageants and pageant winners, with her students capturing local, state and national titles in the Miss America, Teen International, Miss USA, Mrs. International, and Cinderella International pageants systems to name just a few. She is currently State Director for the Ohio Cinderella International Scholarship Pageant system, and also serves as the Executive Director/ Producer of the annual Miss Columbus Teen Pageant. Judy resides in Westerville, with her husband John, where they have five children and six grand-children.
· Amy Allen - Amy’s love for the stage became noticeable at a very early age, when she began singing in church and school choirs; then at the age of 8 started playing the violin. In 1998, Amy became a member of the Royal Ringers Handbell Choir and played concerts throughout Northeast Ohio, and has participated in two recording projects. In 2002, Amy represented Summit County at the Ohio Junior Miss Scholarship Pageant held in Mount Vernon, which led to her college choice - Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where she majored in International Business with Spanish and Music minors. She was actively involved with the Student Government Association, cheerleading, Mansion Builders, and Jazz Band, as well as private voice and advanced violin lessons. In 2007, Amy completed her Master of Business Administration degree. To help fund her education, Amy competed for 4 years in the Miss America Scholarship Program winning various awards including community service, spirit, Miss Congeniality, and Miss Southern Ohio 2008. She also competed for 3 years in the Miss Black Ohio USA Scholarship Pageant finishing as 1st runner-up. Amy is dedicated to serving as an ambassador for Urban Renewal through Habitat for Humanity, and she resides in Akron.
· Kally Addis - When she’s not enjoying a fashion runway show or beauty pageant, Kally can be found in the theatre. Nominated for an Orchid Award for her performance as Alais from “Lion in Winter” and for her work on set décor and properties for “Scrooge the Musical,” Kally has also portrayed Louise in “Is There a Comic in the House?” and she is currently in filming for an independent film called “Night at the Raven.” Kally serves on the Mason Community Players board of directors, and she was recently seen in MTV’s Made, Season 11 of Pageant Queen. She has been a competitor in the Miss Ohio USA, Miss Ohio International, and Miss Captivating pageant systems, and recently held the title of Miss Sweetheart of Ohio. Kally is a professional model, signed with P.C.-Goenner talent agency (Cincinnati/Dayton divisions), and she is employed by A-to-Z Fun Company where she enjoys “clowning around,” as she is a professional Clown and promoter of the Royal Princess line. She recently auditioned in New York City for a role at the Disney Tokyo Park and also for the Disney Cruise Ship, as her ambition is to work for Disney as “a real Disney Princess” one day. Kally enjoys spending time skydiving, coaching TOPS Soccer for children with special needs, and volunteering with HOBY (the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Organization), as well as fly-fishing and farming a 200 head cattle farm in Northwestern Ohio with her fiance’ Mike. Kally is also currently authoring a children’s book series called “The Adventures of Kallily Clown” with a release date scheduled for next summer.
“In addition to quality judges, we are providing a quality production team and a top-rate performance opportunity for the contestants,” stated Maple. “From professional technology to a friendly staff, we want this to be a positive experience for everyone.”
No competition is complete without prizes, and the production team is continuing to secure the prize packages for the winners, with Colony Square Mall, Kay Bowling & Trophy, and Ohio University Zanesville being among the first to respond favorably. The winners will also receive beauty and image incentives, as well as custom-designed promotional pieces for their electronic media kits, including photographs, biographies, business cards, and more.
“Above all else, we want to keep this a healthy, positive learning experience for all involved, and while projects like this can become very competitive, we wish to remain focused on the purpose and mission of the Keep Kids In School program,” concluded McDonald.
####
0 comments:
Post a Comment