For Immediate Release
January 14, 2016
Contact: Sharon Selz
Phone: (414) 977-5064
Email: sselz@stanncenter.org
Ten Finalists Named for St. Ann Center Talent Show at Turner Hall Ballroom
An all-star cast will light up the Center Stage Talent Show, a fundraiser for St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. Performers ranging in age from 6 to 70-plus will be showcased at the third-annual event, Tuesday, March 1, at Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N. 4th Street. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the show starting at 6:30 p.m.
Ten finalists are set to compete in front of a three-judge panel including Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian and television host John McGivern. The acts were selected from dozens of auditions to vie for the $1,000 first prize and the $500 Fan Favorite Award determined by the audience.
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.
Portia Young, former news personality at WISN-TV and currently public relations manager for Sargento Foods, will emcee the event. Joining McGivern as judges will be Joanne Weintraub, a writer and longtime TV critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and 14-year-old singer and youth activist Erica Lofton, last year’s Center Stage winner.
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 at stanncenter.org/centerstage. Prices increase to $25 and $15 at the door.All proceeds support St. Ann Center’s Care Champions program which provides wellness services, therapy, meals and entertainment to clients without the ability to pay.
St. Ann Center provides education and health-focused day services to children, the frail elderly and adults with special needs, all in one home-like setting. The talent show will celebrate the gifts found in people of all ages and abilities in a family-friendly night of entertainment and inspiration.
WaterStone Bank is the presenting sponsor of The Center Stage Talent Show. Other sponsors include Turner Hall Ballroom, MHS Wisconsin, Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Tiprint Inc. and Cartridge World of Wauwatosa. For more about this special event, contact Cathy Feldkamp at 414-977-5028 or cfeldkamp@stanncenter.org.