9th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition Chooses 15 High School Acts for Final Event

ST. LOUIS - March 20, 2019 - EntSun -- On Saturday, March 9^th, 45 metro area high school acts competed in the Semi-final round of the 9^th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition.  St. Louis performing arts professionals judged the performances and narrowed the field to 15 acts (24 individuals) who will move on to the finals on Saturday, April 13^th at 8pm at The Fabulous Fox Theatre (a list of acts can be found on our website).  In addition to the thrill of performing on the Fox Stage, contestants are eligible to win college scholarships, prizes and performance opportunities.  "We couldn't be happier with the level of talent. The students seem to get better and better each year," exclaimed Mary Strauss, Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation Board President Emeritus.  The final competition is a professionally produced production that is FREE and open to the public.  General Admission tickets are required and available now at no charge at The Fabulous Fox box office and through Metrotix (https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/teen-talent).

More than $40,000 in prizes, cash awards, and college scholarships will be distributed among the top competitors on April 13^th.  A full list of prizes along with official event information can be found on the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation's (FPACF) website.  Finalists will also have the opportunity to perform at area events throughout the year. 2019 public appearances scheduled currently scheduled include The Muny, National Dance Week, Taste of Maplewood, Gateway Grizzlies, Shakespeare Festival, and Rising Stars Showcase.

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Judges for the finals have careers spanning music, dance, and Broadway.  This year's guest judges are:

Audrey Kwong, Artistic Operations Manager for St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Mike Isaacson, Artistic Director and Executive Producer for The Muny and a Broadway producer; Antonio Douthit-Boyd, Co-Artist Director of Dance for the Center of Creative Arts, and former dancer with both the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Dance Theatre of Harlem School; Robbie Montgomery, founder of Sweetie Pie's and former back-up singer for Ike & Tina Turner, The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder;  and Josh Harris, music producer, author, and Grammy nominated recording engineer. Students will be judged on technical ability, stage presence, interpretation and originality.

Tony Parise, Broadway actor, dancer, director, choreographer and St. Louis native, returns for his 9^th year to write the script and direct the finals. "I can't believe that this is our 9^th year!" enthused Parise.   "The talent of St. Louis teens never ceases to amaze me, and it is always an honor to help guide them on their path to performing on the Fabulous Fox Stage!"  Parise will be working with choreographer Yvonne Meyer Hare (also a St. Louis native) to prepare the final acts to compete in front of a live audience at The Fox. Finalists include a variety of singers, musicians, dancers, acrobats, a juggler, and musical theatre performers.

The FoxPACF reintroduced the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition in 2011 to showcase the St. Louis region's most talented teens in the performing arts.  The 2018 winner was Nicaya Wiley, a dancer from Kirkwood High School.  Wiley, now a senior, will return for a special performance on April 13^th.

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Miano.tv produces videos of the competition process which will be available early April on our YouTube and SchoolTube channels.  Highlights and winning performances from the 2011 through 2018 events are currently posted and provide viewers a glimpse of what the competition is all about.

The community response to this FREE event has been amazing and grown over the past seven years with "sold out" crowds at The Fox.  Additionally, each year 120,000+ viewers have watched the nineNetwork's program on the competition.   We are pleased that The Nine Network of Public Media will once again broadcast an hour-long program on the 2019 competition.

PLEASE NOTE:  All seating is general admission. There is a limit of 10 tickets per transaction. Seating is first-come-first-seated and is not guaranteed.  The theater will be over-sold to ensure a full house.  Please arrive early.

Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation fosters, promotes, and encourages young people in the St. Louis region to discover and participate in the joy and wonder of live performances.

In addition to the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition, the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation also produces a variety of other performing arts programs that focus on youth including Kids' Night at the Fabulous Fox, Broadway Master Classes, Educational Encores, and is a producing partner of the 2nd Annual St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards.  More info available at https://foxpacf.org/