Turner Hall Ballroom will host an all-star cast on Tuesday,March 1, as the Center Stage Talent Show, a fundraiser for St. Ann Center forIntergenerational Care, comes to the storied venue.
Ten finalists are set to compete in front of a three-judgepanel including Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian and television host JohnMcGivern. The acts were selected from dozens of auditions to vie for the $1,000first prize and the $500 Fan Favorite Award determined by the audience.Performers range in age from 6 to 70-plus.
Portia Young, former news personality at WISN-TV, will emceethe event. Joining McGivern as judges will be Joanne Weintraub, a writer andlongtime TV critic for the MilwaukeeJournal Sentinel and 14-year-old singer and youth activist Erica Lofton,last year’s Center Stage winner.
The power-packed lineup includes:
- The Midwest Vocal Express, a male a cappella chorus headquartered in Greendale and made up of singers from across Southeast Wisconsin. They ranked 15th in the world of barbershop choruses in a 2015 international contest.
- Ella Curran, 17, a Shorewood High School senior with a love for opera and musical theater. She played Sally in Shorewood High’s production of Cabaret and plans to study vocal performance in college.
- Warped Dance Company, a semi-professional company dedicated to bringing the relevance and vitality of concert dance to Milwaukee. The company includes a youth company and mentors young dancers interested in a professional dance career.
- The Clarinet and Accordion Guys, Rich Regent on clarinet and accordionist John Dudzik tackle everything from Dixieland to jazz to toe-tapping polkas.
- The Meladies, Marquette University’s premier all-female a cappella group. A sisterhood of song, they are among the elite groups chosen to participate in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.
- Pianist Benjamin Nelson, 14, a freshman at The Prairie School. He names Chopin as his favorite composer and enjoys playing his intricate piano solos.
- Alicia Obiakor, 12, a seventh-grader at Shorewood Intermediate School. Alicia has a powerful, soulful voice she’s been honing since she was 18 months old.
- LocoMotion Dance Company, a nonprofit arts organization that inspires youth to pursue their dreams through dance. This energetic troupe performs jazz and ballet to traditional African dance and hip-hop.
- Dimitra Anderson, a 56-year-old belly dancer known for her elegantly athletic performances. After taking lessons from the Milwaukee Recreation Department, she has gone on to perform nationally, doing her own choreography and costuming.
- The BAND Hennes—a close-knit combo of sisters —Meguire, 13, on keyboards, KyLee, 11, on acoustic/electric guitar, Olivia, 9, on drums and Taressa, 6, on bass. They love playing classic rock songs (AC/DC, Journey, Bon Jovi) as well as current covers of all genres.
Advance admission for the talent show is $20 for adults and$10 for children, or $50 for a family pass (two adults and two children).Purchase online here.
Prices increase to $25 and $15 at the door. All proceedssupport St. Ann Center’s Care Champions program which provides wellnessservices, therapy, meals and entertainment to clients without the ability topay. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the show starting at 6:30 p.m.
