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Spotlight on Talent

Area talent show gives youth a time to shine

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Long before “America’s Got Talent” began attracting the nation’s attention, a local talent show began offering youths a chance to take center stage.

And, efforts are now gearing up for this year’s 34th annual “Spotlight on Talent” competition.

Kiersten Herman, of Wesley Chapel, won third place in her category in last year’s ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition. (Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center Association)

Winners of this talent show won’t walk away with a million-dollar prize or a show in Las Vegas, but they won’t walk away empty-handed, either.

The regional competition awards more than $4,000 in cash prizes and trophies to winners in several age categories.

The event, organized by the Heritage Arts Center Association, features contestants who have made their way through auditions and have been selected as finalists to compete at two shows.

The competition also awards a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior who lives in Pasco County.

Because of the community support of the “Moonlight and Ivory” concerts, as well as the “Spotlight” contest, organizers have added the scholarship that will go to the Pasco senior with the highest total scores from the finals judges.

The contest will feature finalists from several hundred contestants who compete during an audition.

Contestants come from throughout Pasco County, as well as Tampa, Brooksville, St. Petersburg and other communities.

Talents run the gamut, too.

There are vocalists, dancers, instrumental musicians, piano players, baton twirlers, bands, gymnasts and other entertainers seeking to take home a prize.

There are several age categories. There also are categories for groups and for solos. A student may enter as a soloist and as a member of a group.

Judges for the competition come from Central Florida.

This year’s auditions will be on Feb. 11.

Julianna Mazza, of Dade City, won first place in her category in last year’s ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition.

Participants are judged primarily on talent, but also on stage presence and appropriate appearance.

The final competitions will be March 11 at Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The first act, which begins at noon, will feature the younger finalists. The second act, which begins at 7 p.m., will features the older competitors.

Admission is $12 for adults for one show, or $20 for both. For students through high school, admission is $6 for one show, or $10 for both. Children under age 5 are admitted free.

The scholarship winner will be announced at the end of the final show, and will be separate, and in addition to the individual category winners.

The deadline for entries is Jan. 26, but anyone who is interested in competing should start preparing their act now and start working on the application, Barbara Friedman, one of the event’s organizers, said via email.

Information about the competition is distributed to each school music teacher in central and east Pasco County. Many dance, vocal and instrumental studios, and local Chambers of Commerce also have information about the arts competition.

Applications and information also are available online at HeritageArts.org.

The competition is also seeking additional community sponsors.

If you’d like more information about the competition or about how to become a sponsor, call Friedman at (352) 567-1720, or email .

34th annual ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition
Deadline for applications: Jan. 26
Auditions: Feb. 11
Talent Show: March 11; Act I, featuring younger competitors begins at noon. Act II, featuring older contestants starts at 7 p.m.
Where: Talent shows will be at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel.
Admission: For adults, $12 for adults for one show or $20 for both. For students through high school, $6 for one show or $10 for both. Children under age 5 are admitted free.
For more information, call Barbara Friedman at (352) 567-1720, or email .
For applications, visit HeritageArts.org.

Performers shine, overcome challenges at ‘Spotlight On Talent’

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After hours of practice and auditioning before a panel of experts, a select number of singers, dancers and musicians were chosen to perform at the Heritage Arts Center Association’s “Spotlight On Talent” event, now in its 31st year.

Riley Reardon won this year’s $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship for his contemporary dance routine. The Land O’Lakes High School senior choreographed it as well. (Courtesy of The Heritage Arts Center Association)
Riley Reardon won this year’s $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship for his contemporary dance routine. The Land O’Lakes High School senior choreographed it as well.
(Courtesy of The Heritage Arts Center Association)

Getting there was the hard part. The event itself, held in two separate performances on March 29 at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High School, should have been easier. But the “Spotlight On Talent” finals brought their own challenges for the performers.

The early showcase, which featured younger performers, was hampered by inclement weather, including thunderstorms and tornado warnings that severely affected audience turnout, organizers said. And the later showcase was disrupted by an inadvertent fire alarm, which required a visit from the fire department and a full evacuation of the auditorium.

But according to Barbara Friedman, who produced the talent show and is a member of the organization’s board of directors, those obstacles didn’t prevent inspired performances by the finalists, well-deserved recognition for the winners, and another successful talent showcase for young people in the area.

“The performances were fabulous,” she said. “Truly, they are destined to go on to wonderful careers and go on with their talents.”

All performers and judges made it to the early show despite bad weather, and the fire alarm didn’t rattle the late show contestants, either. Attendance for both shows was around 400, with more than 120 performers representing more than 60 different acts, taking part in the shows.

Their ability to overcome unexpected events demonstrates that they’ve already successfully learned and implemented a “the show must go on” mentality, Friedman said.

Winners were recognized in several categories, and one also earned $1,000 as the recipient of the Pasco Heritage Scholarship, which is given to a Pasco graduating senior each year.

But even that winner didn’t have an easy road to his victory. In fact, he made a mistake early into his contemporary dance routine.

“In the beginning, I was supposed to do this leap and then roll to the ground. But I leapt, and when I put my foot down I missed the floor and landed on my back,” recalled Riley Reardon, a senior at Land O’ Lakes High School. “But then I just kept on going because I was supposed to go to the floor so a lot of people didn’t even notice. Right then I was like, ‘Wow, I already messed this up and I’m only at the beginning of the dance.’”

Reardon was able to recover, impress the judges throughout the rest of his dance, and capture the scholarship. And it probably helped that he knew the routine so well: Reardon choreographed the dance himself, and even choreographed a duet dance for his sister, Devin, for her performance at the “Spotlight On Talent.”

Dance is a big part of Reardon’s life. He practices for hours each weekday at Broadway Dancesations, a dance studio in Lutz. While it requires considerable practice and focus, he said it’s a creative break from the challenging course load he takes as part of his school’s International Baccalaureate program.

Choreography also is a fun activity for him, since he gets to match up a dancer’s strengths with routines that showcase their abilities. Reardon said that watching others succeed with dances he creates can be more rewarding than actually performing them himself.

But he won the scholarship with his own performance, and he found the victory satisfying for multiple reasons. He’s been performing at the “Spotlight On Talent” for a few years, and it was nice to be recognized in his senior year.

The money is a welcome prize, too. Reardon is looking at a few schools, and while he hasn’t made a final decision yet, it looks like his choice will probably take him out of state, which means higher tuition costs and additional living expenses.

Wherever he attends school, he said the money would come in handy.

“I’m really excited. College is super-expensive, so just having a little bit of help really does go a long way.”

Published April 9, 2014

Finalists announced for ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition

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The preliminary competition for the 31st annual “Spotlight on Talent” is complete, with 100 acts and a total of 200 students competing during the 14-hour audition process.

The annual event, hosted by the Heritage Arts Center Association in Dade City, has expanded to two final shows because of the huge increase in applicants and what organizers describe as a jump in the quality of talent. In fact, 64 scoring acts — 126 students — were chosen to perform March 29 at noon, with more scheduled that same day beginning at 7 p.m.

Both shows will be held at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel, with adult tickets starting at $12, and students through high school $6. Tickets are only available at the door.

All the final performances will be awarded a trophy, and two professional panels of judges will have the task of selecting winners for cash prizes. In total, more than $4,000 in cash, trophies and ribbons will be presented to winners in 10 different categories.

The finalist performances vary in style from jazz to classical and Broadway, to rock.

Because of its more than 30-year history, the competition has come full circle with “Spotlight” alums now in positions of responsibility for the production. Two assistant producers for example — Alicia Polk Guanio and Rebecca Friedman Groomes — were annual contestants from 5 years old. The competition itself costs more than $14,000, funded by donations from individuals and businesses.

Heritage Arts also will present its $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship to a graduating Pasco County senior who receives the highest judges scores the night of the finals. Last year’s recipient was Shelby Martin, who is now a student at Florida State University.

Finalists include:

For Act I (ages 6-11): Allison Crump, Taylor Hernandez, Victoria Rose Huerta, Vincent Pham, Bernadette Richter, Gracie Scaglione and Lily Viet.

(Age 12): Ryan Jones, Julianna Mazza, Macy Pickerall, Blaise Ryndes, Mark Thivierge and Josie Virge

(Seventh Grade): Samantha Aubin, Maria Hernandez, Megan Phillips, Mina Scaglione and Shelby Surratt.

(Eighth Grade): Maitlin Hart, Hannah Knight, Emma Lawrence, Minerva Nong, Carson Rio, Lizandra Spainhour and Teresa Tompkins.

(Younger Groups): FearingStar, Showbiz, Showtime and The Phelps Sisters.

For Act II (age 14): Grace Alexander, Molly Bentley, Brianna Duncan, Courtney Graham, Jessie Hart, Alex Mercier, Victoria Neukom, Rose Phelps and Alexis Rosario.

(Ages 15-16): Claire Alexander, Rosie Fields, Clare Hernandez, Shelby Johnson, Danielle Pacifico, Nicole Sargent, David Singh and James Williams.

(Age 17): Jordan Allison, Kevin Hernandez, Jessica Holt, Courtney Nathe, Sarah Piersall, Riley Reardon, Danielle Saad and Logan White.

(Age 18): Joseph McGill, Nicolas Remy, Katie Ruffell, Katie Sutton and Angela Tompkins.

(Older Groups): Devin and Vanessa, Flowers Ferguson, Joseph and Maggie McGill, Showstoppers and Star Company.

For more information, visit HeritageArts.org.

Deadline approaching fast for this year’s Spotlight on Talent

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Hundreds of participants will soon be evaluated by industry professionals for a chance to win cash and prizes. If it sounds like one of those famous televised talent searches, it’s not.

It’s actually been around a lot longer.

Shelby Martin of Pasco High School was the first winner of the Pasco Heritage Scholarship at least year’s Spotlight on Talent event. Martin now attends Florida State University. (Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center)
Shelby Martin of Pasco High School was the first winner of the Pasco Heritage Scholarship at least year’s Spotlight on Talent event. Martin now attends Florida State University.
(Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center)

Heritage Arts Center Association will host its 31st annual Spotlight on Talent on March 29 at Wesley Chapel High School. The auditions to see who will make the finals will take place March 1, with applications due no later than Feb. 13.

The contest is open to children of any age through high school seniors, and includes any kind of performance talent. Heritage Arts Center is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the performing and visual arts. And according to Barbara Friedman, the event’s producer and a Heritage board member, the organization wants to give children who have those talents the kind of notoriety and recognition normally reserved for student-athletes.

“There’s a lot of ways that the children talented in sports get recognition (with) lots of awards banquets and newspaper coverage,” she said. “I think the arts are equally important, even though different, and so I want these children who have spent so much time and effort to be rewarded.”

Getting children recognition is a complicated and expensive process for Heritage Arts, Friedman said. Every applicant is invited to perform in front of a panel of five judges, each a respected professional in a discipline of the arts. Those who score the highest will move on to the finals, which will be in two shows, divided based on age.

Those shows also will be judged by a similar panel, but with an audience in attendance as well. Winners at those events will receive $150 and a trophy for first place, with other top finishers receiving money as well.

In all, more than $4,000 in cash and prizes will go to the winners. Figuring in the costs of paying the judges and renting the venue, Heritage Arts will spend more than $14,000 on the event, Friedman said.

The organization recoups that money by attracting sponsors, selling tickets to the final shows, as well as a $40 application fee.

The prize money includes a $1,000 scholarship awarded to a graduating senior and Pasco County resident, which was added last year. The first winner, Pasco High School’s Shelby Martin, sang and danced at the 2013 event. She now attends Florida State University where she studies communications and sociology.

The contest is open to both individuals and groups — with an additional $5 fee per extra performer — and not restricted to residents of any particular area.

For more information and to apply by the Feb. 13 deadline, visit HeritageArts.org.

Published Feb. 12, 2014