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Public
Is Invited to MCCC's
"Searching for the Stars" Finale Mar. 14
3/4/08
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The community
is invited to the final round of MCCC's "Searching for the
Stars" talent competition. This last of three rounds takes
place Friday, Mar. 14, 7 to 9 p.m., in Kerney Hall at Mercer's James
Kerney Campus (JKC), North Broad and Academy Streets in downtown
Trenton.
The show will
feature a group of six to ten finalists, selected from an original
roster of 23 contestants who performed Feb. 29. (That group was
pared down to 15 and further reduced in the second round of competition.)
The winner is invited to perform at Amateur Night at Harlem's Apollo
Theater in late April or early May. In addition to MCCC faculty,
judges for the final performance will include Vanessa Rogers from
the Apollo.
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MCCC
staff and faculty participating in "Searching for
the Stars, from left, Theatre Program coordinator
and the show's producer, Jody Person, JKC advisor Terrance Carter
and faculty member Donna Hall-Richardson. Pictured, back, is Master
of Ceremonies Post Midnight.
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MCCC's
"Searching for the Stars" was conceived and is produced by Jody
Person, coordinator of the MCCC Theatre Program. Open to all Mercer County
residents, performers have exhibited diverse talents as singers, dancers,
rappers, and musicians. The panel of judges includes MCCC faculty members
and staff who specialize in theater and communications. Judging criteria
include presentation, substance, originality, and performance execution.
The
event involves numerous MCCC students. Students from the MCCC Entertainment
Technology Program under the leadership of Asst. Prof. Bob Terrano are
creating a theatrical atmosphere for each event with high tech lighting
and sound. Students are expected to pull out the stops for the finale.
Master of Ceremonies for the performances is popular local entertainer
Post Midnight, who has served as MC for MCCC's avant garde Late Night
Series since its inception six years ago. Television students will tape
the finale and conduct interviews. The show will then be broadcast on
Mercer's cable channel, MCTV-26; selected portions will be shown on YouTube.
According
to Person, each performer was videotaped in an exit interview following
the first round. "I watched a slew of them, and most of them were
very moving. It made me feel proud of our work together and glad that
we created this event," he said.
For Person, "Searching for the Stars" is a creative way to lay
the groundwork for establishing a theatre program at JKC. Over the years,
a Fundamentals of Acting course has been taught there. Person envisions
more courses and big productions.
"We want to expand the arts at Kerney," Person said. "Through
this exciting event, we hope to make more people aware of the opportunities
that theater creates. Both the Apollo Theater and the city of Trenton
have rich histories and the two seem perfectly matched. There is so much
talent here." The Apollo roster has included such legends as Ella
Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson,
Lauryn Hill, Dru Hill and Blu Cantrell.
Terrance Carter, JKC student activities adviser/counselor and one of the
judges, concurs. "Kerney has never hosted a show of this magnitude
before," he said. "The excitement level is huge. There is a
tremendous amount of undiscovered talent, a true galaxy of stars in Trenton
and Mercer County."
For more information, call (609) 570-3166.
Directions
to MCCC
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