STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (March 1, 2013) — Get your best material together and get ready to become the next winner of the “Happy Valley’s Got Talent” Show. Open auditions for the third annual fundraising show will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and 17, at Indigo night club in State College, Pa. All types of performing acts from vocalists to dancers to comics and more are invited to audition in four age divisions. The 12 best acts will advance to the finals at the State Theatre on April 6.
There is no fee to participate, and all performers are asked to register online prior to the audition dates, although in-person registration will be possible on the days of the auditions, space allowing. Pianists will be auditioned separately 9–10 a.m., Saturday only at The State Theatre in State College. Auditions for almost all performers will take place 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday, March 16, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, March 17. Audition information and registration forms are available at www.tidesprogram.org.
Three acts in four age categories will advance to the finals and compete for cash prizes ($200, $100 and $50 in each category). This benefit show is patterned after the nationally televised show “America’s Got Talent.” The four divisions are:
· Future Fame Division (12–15 years old)
· Rising Stars Division (16–20 years old)
· Prime Time Division (21–39 years old)
· Local Legends Division (40+)
The finals will be at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 6, at The State Theatre, judged by area celebrities. A 2 p.m. family oriented matinee will not be judged, but kids in the audience will vote for their overall “Kids Choice” winner in each category. The evening of the show will feature a live auction and a raffle, with all proceeds going to support Tides.
This year’s judges include radio personalities Jeff Brown (The Bus), PJ Mullen (B94.5), Jay Paterno, State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, actress Jordan Toronto, and Jamie Bestwick, President of the Bestwick Foundation. Radio personality Jerry Valeri from Majic 99 will host the show, which is being produced by local playwright and show producer Jerry Sawyer.
More than 30 acts auditioned for the 12 finalist spots.
“The ‘Happy Valley’s Got Talent’ show, now in its third year, has become a staple of the spring entertainment calendar and raises a significant amount of money for Tides” said Leslie Finton, Tides executive director. “We are so grateful for the many ways in which the community has embraced this show and the mission of Tides.”
The show is presented by Pediatric Dental Care and Happy Valley Orthodontics. For the third year, Centre Daily Times is the media sponsor. Indigo and Susquehanna Bank sponsor the auditions. Finton said she is grateful for these and other community partners that have helped to get the event off the ground. “We have had so many great community partners get involved with sponsoring and donating to the event,” said Finton. “We at Tides are humbled by the generous support we receive.”
Tides is a peer support program offered at no cost to grieving children, adolescents, and the people who love them in Centre county and surrounding areas. Though everyone deals with the loss of a loved one in their own way, Tides was created specifically to support grieving children and adolescents as they try to understand and cope with their loss, to express their feelings and to find healing in their lives. Tides meets the first and third Thursdays of each month at Houserville Elementary School. Pre-registration is required and is available by calling 814-692-2233. There is no fee to participate.
Ticket prices are $10 for the matinee, $20 for the evening show and $50 for both a show ticket and the VIP reception at Rotelli. Tickets are available at The State Theatre box office ($2 ticketing fee per ticket). More details about Tides and the “Happy Valley’s Got Talent” show are available at www.tidesprogram.org.