For the fourth time in as many years, the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation is putting on the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. From an initial audition pool of more than 100 teens from the metro area, twelve finalists have been selected to perform at the Fox Theatre Friday, April 4.
The finalists will be competing for college scholarships and the opportunity to make appearances, but in reality they have already won said writer, director and choreographer Tony Parise, who is directing the performance.
“What they’ve won is the chance to perform at the Fox,” he said. Parise described the competition performance as new age vaudeville” due to the variety of acts. Finalists range from tappers to singers, hula hoopers to violinists.
- singer and ukulele player Haley Capstick of Eureka High School
- a capella tap dancers Central VPA Tappers of Central Visual & Performing Arts High School
- hula hooper Donesha Buhr of Fresh Start North Academy in “Daring Donesha”
- singer Thomas Fields of St. Louis University High School in “Dressing Room Warm Up”
- Aiden IP of Whitfield High School and Hava Polinsky of Clayton High School in “Fiddlers Fandango”
- singer and tap dancer Courtney Fortner of Parkway South High School
- singer Lauren Goskie of Hillsboro High School
- violinist John Li of Mary Institute-Country Day School
- classical pianist Olivia Long of John Burroughs School
- a capella hip hop rappers Ragland, Frey and Houston of Webster Groves High School
- dancer TJ Hammond of Christian Brothers College High School
- hip hop dancer Nigel “Trip” Harris-Scott of Webster Groves High School
For finalist Lauren Goskie, a senior at Hillsboro High School, preparing for the performance has been a bit surreal.
“I’ve never had anyone choreograph where I’m going to walk while I sing before,” said Goskie, who will be performing “In the Month of May” in the style of Michael Bublé.
According to Kathryn Ballard, executive director of the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition actually began more than twenty years ago when the Fox first reopened. They held the competition for two years before it was revived in 2010.
The theme for this year’s performance is “St. Louis Blues” and ties into the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the city.
“There’s such a rich history of performers in St. Louis and we’re also celebrating the stars of tomorrow,” Ballard said.
Related Event
Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation Presents St. Louis Teen Talent Competition
Friday, April 4, 2014
8:00 p.m.
Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd.
Admission is free, but requires a ticket. For more information, visit the Fox Theatre website.
Cityscape is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer, hosted bySteve Potter and funded in part by the the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
