From Harford Center for the Arts:
Bel Air, MD (May 3, 2010) Harford’s Got Talent winners were chosen by the audience of 800 at the event on May 1st.
The winner of the $1500 Performing Arts Award was Upper Chesapeake Chorus-A Capella 15. The group included Linda Brown, Mary Gray, Diana Jurist, Carol Klein, Deb McCallum, Lacey Moore, Peg Nichols, Sue Peretti, Irene Richardson, Beth Rupert, Diane Sengstacke, Beth Thatcher, Debbie Verbillis, Vicki Walton, and Linda Wood. The winners are part of the 40 member Upper Chesapeake Chorus with diverse ages and backgrounds, most who live and or work in Harford County.
Germaine Hughes won the $500 Visual Arts Award. She was a finalist with three entries and won for her watercolor “Searching”.
The audience enjoyed an array of entertainment at the event. The Good Company Recorder Consort and Havre de Grace High School Jazz Ensemble performed. Entertainment was also provided by the Crooner & the Comic: A Tribute to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, with Eric Richardson and Matt Macis. Celebrity judges Billy Boniface, Harford County Council President; Jack Gerbes, Director of the Maryland Film Office; and Karen Green, Recreation Specialist, Havre de Grace Activity Center, Harford County Department of Parks & Recreation delighted the audience and the finalists with their insightful, very positive comments. The Honorary Chair was Dr. James LaCalle, President of Harford Community College. The event was emceed masterfully and enthusiastically by Wayne Thibeault, Principal of Patterson Mill High School. The Kelly Group, a tax and accounting/asset management firm oversaw the ballot process and voting at the Harford’s Got Talent event. The competition was open to individual artists and group performers (up to 15 people), and visual artists, age 13 and older who live, work, perform or study regularly in Harford County or who have done so in the past. Over 40 artists auditioned and finalists were chosen based on artistic expression, choice of materials, level of difficulty, technical ability, presentation, stage presence, and charisma. Finalists for the visual arts were selected based on subject, choice of materials, use of media, technical ability, presentation, and artistic excellence.
What a wonderful showcase of all of the local talent here in Harford County! I think there should be a comedy showcase as well.
I was also pleasantly surprised at The Crooner and the Comic who play Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. I have loved Dean Martin’s variety tv show since I was a child and it brought great memories back for me. The young man who played Jerry Lewis had the girls screaming in the aisles (perhaps he is a little *too* attractive to be playing Jerry Lewis).