Contact: Sharon Selz
Phone: (414) 977-5064
Email: sselz@stanncenter.org
Celebrity Judges Announced for St. Ann Center Talent Show
The judges for St. Ann Center’s upcoming talent show will be a big part of the entertainment. Emmy Award-winning actor, writer, comedian and television host John McGivern will be joined by media critic Joanne Weintraub and 14-year-old singer Erica Lofton at the third annual Center Stage Talent Show set for Tuesday, March 1, at the Turner Hall Ballroom.
McGivern is best known for his PBS series Around the Corner with John McGivern, in which he explores life in unique Wisconsin communities. His one-man shows also hit home with Milwaukeeans as he tells stories of growing up in a working class Irish Catholic family on the east side. Weintraub is a writer and longtime TV critic and reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Lofton, the $1,000 first-prize winner of last year’s talent show, is the CEO of Girls in Action, a non-profit girls leadership organization she founded.
Portia Young, former news personality at WISN-TV and currently public relations manager for Sargento Foods, returns as emcee for the event, which is a fundraiser for St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. The center provides education and health-focused day services to children, the frail elderly and adults with special needs all in one home-like setting. The talent show will celebrate the gifts found in people of all ages and abilities in a family-friendly night of entertainment and inspiration.
Video auditions to be one of the ten talents performing in the talent show are open through midnight, Thursday, December 31. Singers, dancers, musicians and more are invited to submit a video audition as a solo, partner or group act. Videos can be submitted on the events section of St. Ann Center’s Facebook page at facebook.com/stanncenter. Auditions can also be emailed to cfeldkamp@stancenter.org.
The top ten performers will be selected by a panel of judges and announced on Friday, January 15. Finalists will go on to perform at the talent show. A total of $1,500 in prizes will be awarded. First prize is $1,000 and the Fan Favorite Award, determined by the audience, is $500.
Tickets for the talent show are half price through December 31—$10 for adults and $5 for children. Half- price tickets can be purchased online at stanncenter.org/centerstage. All proceeds will go to St. Ann Center’s Care Champions program which provides wellness services, therapy, meals and entertainment to clients without the ability to pay.
The Center Stage Talent Show is sponsored in part by Turner Hall, MHS Wisconsin, Zimmerman Architectural Studios and Tiprint Inc. For more about auditioning or to get involved with this special event, contact Cathy Feldkamp at (414) 977-5028 or cfeldkamp@stanncenter.org.
