Orcas Has Talent on the way
Published 4:51 pm Wednesday, January 14, 2015
As Orcas Has Talent celebrates its 10th anniversary, producers are coming up with some exciting changes.
The heart of the event will be the same – to inspire, excite and entertain. According to producer Donna Laslo those are the three elements that keep people coming back for more.
“I am shocked that it has lasted this long and that there is such a demand from the community,” said Laslo, who has produced the Orcas entertainment staple for a decade.
All artists must audition and receive a golden ticket to qualify for the finale show held at the Orcas Center on Feb. 7, where the winner will be chosen.
Auditions will be held on Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Grange. All interested artists 15 years and up must sign up by emailing orcashastalent@gmail.com. Tickets are $10 for the adult show and $5 for the kids’ show.
The “Orcas Has Talent Junior” competition featuring the up-and-coming talented Orcas youth will be held on Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. The winner will be awarded a $50 prize and the chance to compete with the adults. Junior contestants 10 years of age and older also must sign up beforehand.
Orcas Has Talent benefits the high school leadership group Point Blank, which aims to inspire youth leadership and nurture the positive influence of peers educating peers.
Each year the group participate in multiple programs with the goal to inform, educate, support and empower students to make positive choices.
“I am so proud of these kids who will be our future leaders,” said Julie Pinardi, program director. “The program’s positive support for them is critical these days more than ever.”
Laslo understands that after such a long run, there is always room for a few changes. So this season there will be new coaches to help participants blossom, more prizes in the competition and a fresh way to decide who is the winner.
This year’s coaches/judges are Susan Osborn, Jake Perrine and Ken and Karen Speck. They are coaches in that they will be mentoring those who make it past the auditions and on to the big show at Orcas Center. They will be judges in the sense that at the final show they will be helping to decide the champion. A certain percentage of the judges’ votes will be tallied with the audience for evenness.
“The audience still has the power,” said Laslo. “But it will be balanced with the judges’ final decisions. That way someone can win points with talent, poise and stage presences rather than general popularity with the crowd.”
According to Laslo, the show sells out each year in record time, most years within the week of when they go on sale. You can make a donation now of $50 that will allow you to purchase two tickets to the finale show and choose your seats. E-mail orcashastalent@gmail.com to arrange for pre-sale tickets.
