LA's Next Great Stage Star 2013 Announces Star Judge Lineup thru 2/10

With the recent success of competition programs such as American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and, of course, Dancing With The Stars, competitions such as the now successful Stage LA's Next Great Star have caught the attention of many a young hopeful.

Although the first of the 6 week competition has passed, the competition has five more weeks of competitive talent lined up. The producers have just announced the complete line up of celebrated judges for the reamaining dates of Jan 13, 20, 27 and Feb 3 adn 10 (below).

Stage LA's Next Great Star 2013 Judges and Supporters offer support outside of the competition itself as former judge and now producer and acclaimed cabaret singer, Barbara Van Orden explains, "LA's Next Great Stage Star is a venue for young entertainers to be given exposure in the industry. This gives the young talent an opportunity to be recognized. This competition affords many new opportunities for the winners. Winners from the 2012 competition as well as the competition prior years have gone on to perform in many major venues, Broadway Stage etc. This is important to me because young talent need these kinds of opportunities to hone their craft and be discovered."

The Stage Star creative team has put together an amazing and impressive roster of professional judges.

Through a series of auditions held earlier this month, they have 20 very exciting, very talented and uniquely different young women and men in competition. Due to an overwhelming response to participate, they finally put together the judging panels for each week of the competition as follows:

Location: Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal 5303 Lankershim Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604

PAST Week 1 - January 6, 2013 (Opening): Judges' Call Time: 11:15 am for brunch; 12:00 - 2:30 pm competition.

1.) T.J. Dawson - Executive Producer/Artistic Director - 3D Theatricals, Fullerton and Redondo Beach

2.) Steven Dry - Equity Theatre Department Head - Connor, Ankrum & Associates, Hollywood

3.) Michael Matthews - 2012 LA Ovation Award Winner - Best Director of a Musical (The Color Purple); Resident Director/Celebration Theatre - Hollywood

4.) Dan Mojica - Producer/Director/Choreographer - 16 International Companies of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Associate Director/Associate Choreographer; Director/Choreographer of innumerable productions: Victor Victoria, Cabaret, Singin' in the Rain, Camelot, The Music Man and many more.

5.) Calvin Remsberg - Esteemed Los Angeles Vocal Coach; "Beadle" first national tour of Sweeney Todd; Director of Sweeney Todd for Reprise!, Westwood; Director of Sweeny Todd at Musical Theatre West, Long Beach; and others

Week 2 - January 13, 2013: Judges' Call Time: 11:15 am for brunch; 12:00 - 2:30 pm competition.

1.) David Galligan - Director and LA Stage Alliance Lifetime Ovation Award Winner. Director of annual S.T.A.G.E AIDS fundraising benefits in Los Angeles

2.) Richard Israel - Co-Artistic Director West Coast Ensemble; recipient of LA Drama Critics Circle Milton Katselas Award for Career Achievement in Directing. Director: Avenue Q/Doma, Met Theatre, Hollywood; The Full Monty/Third Street Theatre, West Hollywood; Once Upon a Mattress/Cabrillo Music Theatre/Thousand Oaks; Gypsy/Arena Stage, Hollywood.

3.) Robert Marra - Director/Choreographer. Director: The World Goes 'Round/Actors Co-Op, Hollywood; Footloose/San Diego Musical Theatre; Seven Brides....Glendale Centre Theatre; A Chorus Line/San Diego Musical Theatre

4.) Dave Secor - Equity Theatre Department Head - Daniel Hoff Agency, Los Angeles

5.) Mark WilLiam Smith - Equity Theatre Department Head - The Savage Agency, Los Angeles

Week 3 - January 20, 2013: Judges' Call Time: 11:15 am for brunch; 12:00 - 2:30 pm competition.

1.) Jodie Bowman - Equity Theatre Department Head - Brady, Brannon & Rich, Los Angeles

2.) Michael Donovan - Michael Donovan Casting

3.) Matthew Neves - Artistic Director/Performance Riverside at the Landis Performing Arts Center

4.) Mark Simon - Center Theatre Group Casting

5.) Carol Weiss - Owner Stage 9 Talent (Theatre, Film, Television) Hollywood

Week 4 - January 27, 2013: Judges' Call Time: 11:15 am for brunch; 12:00 - 2:30 pm competition.

1.) Roger Bean - Executive Director Steele Spring Theatrical Licensing; Writer/Director/Choreographer The Marvelous Wonderettes, Life Could be a Dream, The Andrew Brothers - Los Angeles, New York and nationally

2.) Cate Caplin - Producer/Director/Choreographer - The Beat Goes On, Arena Stage, Hollywood; Over 150 production in theatres and performance venues in Los Angeles, Edinburgh Arts Festival, Kennedy Center, Metropolitan Opera House and more

3.) Bruce Kimmel - Producer/Director/Writer/Author - Kritzerland Records (over 180 theatrical CD's); The Brain from Planet X; Album Produced by....; Kritzerland Presents...; Out of the Box web series (Broadway World.com)

4.) Matthew Neves - Artistic Director - Performance Riverside at the Landis Performing Arts Center

5.) Sasha Passero - Equity Department Head - KazarIan Ruskin & Associates - Studio City

Week 5 - February 3, 2013 (Super Bowl Sunday): Judges' Call Time: 10:15 am for brunch; 11:00 - 1:30 pm competition.

1.) Steven Dry - Equity Theatre Department Head - Connor, Ankrum & Associates, Hollywood

2.) David Elzer -Ovation, Drama Desk, LA Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, Garland Award winning producer and premier public relations representative. Recent Productions: Justin Love and The Color Purple/Celebration Theatre, Hollywood; Having it All/NoHo Arts Center; The Marvelous Wonderettes/El Portal Forum Theatre, NoHo; Life Could be a Dream/Hudson Theatre, Hollywood

3.) Richard Israel Co-Artistic Director West Coast Ensemble; recipient of LA Drama Critics Circle Milton Katselas Award for Career Achievement in Directing. Director: Avenue Q/Doma, Met Theatre, Hollywood; The Full Monty/Third Street Theatre, West Hollywood; Once Upon a Mattress/Cabrillo Music Theatre/Thousand Oaks; Gypsy/Arena Stage, Hollywood.

4.) Dan Mojica - Producer/Director/Choreographer - 16 International Companies of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Associate Director/Associate Choreographer; Director/Choreographer of innumerable productions: Victor Victoria, Cabaret, Singin' in the Rain, Camelot, The Music Man...

5.) Mark Simon - Center Theatre Group Casting

Week 6 - February 10, 2013 (FINALE): Judges' Call Time: 11:15 am for brunch; 12:00 - 3:00 pm competition.

Roger Bean, Jodie Bowman, Cate Caplin, Michael Donovan, Steven Dry, David Elzer, David Galligan, Richard Israel, Bruce Kimmel, Robert Marra, Michael Matthews, Dan Mojica, Sasha Passero, Calvin Remsberg, Dave Secor (Pending), Mark Simon, Mark WilLiam Smith, Les Traub (Los Angeles Musical Theatre Guild - Pending), Carol Weiss.

As well as the recent addition of ...

1.) Glenn Casale (Artistic Director/Sacramento Music Circus) will be auditioning our winner and top four runners up in consideration of 2013 productions

2.) Julia Flores Casting will be auditioning our winner and top four runners up in consideration of upcoming 2013 productions for McCoy/Rigby (La Mirada) and other 2013 productions

3.) Steven Glaudini (Artistic Direct/Moonlight Stage Productions, Vista) will be auditioning our winner and top four runners up in consideration of upcoming 2013 productions

4.) Lewis Wilkenfeld (Artistic Director/Cabrillo Music Theatre, Thousand Oaks) will be auditioning each of our 20 contestants (during the competition) for consideration of Cabrillo's 2013 productions

Photo Credit: Barbara Van Orden welcomes both talent and judges to the LA's NEXT GREAT STAGE STAR 2013