Fifteen acts, or more than 40 performers, will display their talent and compete for prizes, publicity and bragging rights on Saturday, March 12, at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center, beginning at 7 pm. This first annual Juneau’s Got Talent show, hosted by Juneau Dance Theatre, is modeled after the popular America’s Got Talent. A panel of local celebrities, drawn from arts and entertainment fields plus the audience’s votes (delivered as money in the performer’s pots) will determine the winners.
The finalists selected to compete came from a pool of applicants who auditioned live or via video at the end of February. In addition to a cash prize, the winner will have the opportunity to perform onstage at JDT’s Spring Series, April 29 – May 1 at Thunder Mountain High School. Contestants for March 12 are:
Daughters of the New Moon belly dancers; Fusion Dance Company’s 12-member tap ensemble; Bryan Graceland, gospel singer and guitarist; Juneau Jumpers, Alaska’s capital city rope skipping team; Kayla Kohlhase, vocalist; Adelle LaBrecque and Scott Grant, vocalist and beatboxer; Marina McDowell, vocalist; Micah Mende, drummer, dancer, street performer; Jocelyn Miles, vocalist; The Mini Fiddlers, violin sextet with piano accompaniment; Bobbi Mitchell, vocalist; Evan Rothfeld, rapper; Lydia Smith, vocalist; Salissa Thole, vocalist; and Meredith Wallis and Eric Oravsky, partner dancers.
Juneau’s Got Talent local celebrity judges include Collette Costa, singer and actor; Nancy DeCherney, Executive Director, JAHC; Hali Duran, choreographer; Zachary Hench, Artistic Director, Juneau Dance Theatre; Frank Katasse, actor and playwright; Michaela Moore, director/teacher, JDHS Theatre Department; Shona Osterhout, singer, actor, director; and Eric Scott, Director of Campus Life, University of Alaska Southeast.
Sharon Gaiptman, host of KINY’s Capital Chat, will emcee the evening, which promises to be an entertaining and energetic show. A no-host bar, dessert auction, and balloon-pop raffle round out the evening’s festivities.
Tickets are $35 or $50 for two and can be purchased online, at the JACC, Hearthside books or at the door. All proceeds from Juneau’s Got Talent will support JDT programs and outreach efforts in the community.
The mission of Juneau Dance Theatre is to nurture self-discipline, confidence, mental and physical fitness and creativity through professional dance instruction and performance opportunities; to foster an appreciation of the art of dance in the Juneau community; and to develop artistic creativity and skills in both visual and performing arts through its annual Fine Arts Camp. For more information about Juneau’s Got Talent or Juneau Dance Theatre, visit www.juneaudance.org/events or call 463-5327.
