Corey Mathew Hart got a career bump after winning the first year.
Attention, fire-eaters, head-bangers, belly dancers and plate spinners: Overture needs you.
In fact, no matter what your talent is, Overture Center for the Arts invites you to take part in its annual Rising Stars competition.
“It’s an opportunity for a little artist development for people who may never have had the opportunity to audition for anything,” says Emily Goretski, Overture’s programming and community engagement coordinator. The competition is open to anyone age 6 and up, and has three different categories: music, dance and variety.
Prizes include cash awards and various levels of membership in Broadjam, a Madison-based promotional website for independent musical artists.
The competition debuted in 2013 as part of Overture’s 10th anniversary celebration. Approximately 200 artists try out annually. One of the most unusual acts came in the first year’s competition: an acrobat performing on a huge upright wheel, termed a “German wheel” in circus parlance.
A winner from the first contest joins the 2016 panel of judges: singer-songwriter Corey Mathew Hart. His Americana-influenced rock band, Lost Lakes, releases its first album this fall. Hart credits Overture for helping him network and find bookings throughout the Midwest.
“It’s about that journey and getting to play on that bigger stage,” says Hart. “Being in that space — that’s the magic of it.”
Auditions will take place on Saturday, Aug. 6, at Full Compass. And the final round of competition, on Sept. 24, will be open to the public.
