Overture's Rising Stars
Overture Center-Capitol Theater 201 State St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
press release: It started with a question – ‘Are you the next Rising Star?” What followed included more than 80 auditions throughout the state, 40 callback performances and hundreds of decisions by judges in Oshkosh, Wausau, Madison, and La Crosse all culminating on Saturday, September 14, at Overture Center’s historic Capitol Theater when 21 acts will compete in the Rising Stars Finals.
Contending for a grand prize of $1,000, cash prizes, booking opportunities, a digital marketing consultation and the opportunity to perform during the Overture’s 2020/21 season, the Finals will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $10 or $15 at overture.org, by calling 608.258.4141 or in-person at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street). Artists advancing to the Rising Stars Finals are:
(Soul Doctors) Kelly Hepper, Fil Kennedy, Kent Hamele, Lucas Weaver, Madison
Natalie Popp. Fitchburg
Abey Nova, Baraboo
Anaka Srinivas (and Anitha Guha - choreography), Madison
Ryan Aderholdt, Wausau
Steve Horton, Madison
Linn Jennings, Madison
Molly Davis, Beaver Dam
Andres Jimenez, Madison
Parker Kadera, La Crosse
Sarah Wolff , Onalaska
Max Koepke, Kronenwetter
Ellie Brenner, Durand
(Water Street Dance Milwaukee) Allison Slamann, Ashley Tomasewski, Madyun Wilson, Jasper Sanchez, Alex Seager, Sara Silvis (Morgan Williams - choreography), Milwaukee
Raine Stern, Madison
Declan Killeen Toomey, Verona
Jedediah Larson-Poeschl, Oshkosh
Mooka Subulwa, Oshkosh
Stevie Peterson (Kate Buehner - accompanist), Tomah
Zhalarina, Madison
Jordan Mattmiller, Tomah
“Rising Stars continues to blossom,” said Overture Center Vice President of Programming and Community Engagement Tim Sauers. “With each passing year, we continue to explore new ideas to support and develop diverse, emerging talent and advance this program into a statewide talent search.”
“This year we have performers and partnerships from throughout the state allowing for performance opportunities open to all ages and talent. We have a diverse line that reflects this.”
Sauers’ point is well taken. The Finals lineup features acts from Milwaukee, La Crosse, Tomah and even Durand. In fact, audition locations included for the first time The Grand Oshkosh, The Grand Theater in Wausau and Viterbo University Fine Arts Center in La Crosse.
“The Grand Oshkosh, The Grand Theater and Viterbo University Fine Arts Center were incredible partners,” added Sauers. “They played a huge part in expanding Rising Stars, from hosting to helping recruit judges to the talent search. We’re thrilled they were a part of the process.”
Participants in Rising Stars include all skill levels and talents (ages 6+). The FREE competition hosts three age categories aiming to win $750 in cash prizes. The grand prize winner receives a $1,000, booking opportunities, a digital marketing consultation and the chance to perform at Overture during the 2020/21 season.
Each audition site incorporated local celebrity judges to adjudicate performances and provide feedback. Acts selected from the preliminary auditions were invited to The Callback in August. Following The Callback, finalists participated in a workshop to give them another opportunity to perform and receive constructive feedback from industry professionals before The Finals.
Celebrity judges for the September 14 Finals will consist of three Madison area personalities along with one judge from each partner organization. They include:
· Katharina Abderholden, Freelance artist
· Rachelle Butler, School of Madison Ballet Director
· DJ Pain 1, Music Producer and DJ
· Grant Golson, Producing Artistic Director for La Crosse Community Theater
· Dave Kallaway, On-air host for 95.5 WIFC
Lo Marie, Performing and recording artist
Rising Stars is supported by Arts Access, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation, Madison-Kipp Corporation and Dane Arts with additional funds from the Edres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.
THE GRAND OSHKOSH, built in Oshkosh, Wis., in 1883 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a collaborative and innovative leader in providing entertainment, social, and educational opportunities for the community. The Grand hosts more than 100 public performances each season, featuring both nationally touring and regional artists. thegrandoshkosh.org
THE GRAND THEATER in Wausau, Wis., has brought the best of the performing arts to North Central Wisconsin since 1927. With a mission to entertain, educate and enrich the community, The Grand works to develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts and enhance the quality of life in the region. grandtheater.org
VITERBO UNIVERSITY FINE ARTS CENTER La Crosse, Wis., as a regional arts center, the mission of the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center is to educate, stimulate, inspire, and challenge the university and local communities through the presentation of diverse and quality programming. Built in 1971, the Fine Arts Center hosts over 80,000 guests each year for a variety of events, including performances, lectures, conferences, and more. viterbo.edu/fine-arts-center
OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wis., features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 600,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. With the vision to provide “Extraordinary Experiences for All,” Overture’s mission is to support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. overture.org