PlayhouseSquare Hosts RISING STAR TALENT COMPETITION 3/21

Northeast Ohio talent takes center stage at PlayhouseSquare for the Rising Star Talent Competition on Saturday, March 21 at 12 p.m. Participants of all ages will compete in vocal and dance semi-final competitions to determine which of the 123 acts will move on to the final round at 4 p.m.

"We are excited to give Northeast Ohio's best amateur talent an opportunity to perform onstage at PlayhouseSquare," stated Colleen Porter, director of arts education for PlayhouseSquare. "It's great fun for both the competitors and the audience, and it's not about who wins. It's about the experience."

The Rising Star Talent Competition is open to the general public with no charge for admission. Tickets and reservations are not required. Between the semi-final and final rounds, guests are invited to play bingo for prizes from PlayhouseSquare in the Ohio Theatre lobby.

Laurie Hovater, co-host of the 99.5 FM WGAR Morning Show, will serve as the MC for the final round. Laurie has been with the WGAR Morning Show since 2001, but she started her career in 1999 at sister station WMJI.

2007 Rising Star Teen Vocalist Winner Laura Fedor will perform during the final round. In her seven years as a member of "Cleveland's Own The Singing Angels," she was a featured soloist and dancer, and performed for Pope Benedict XVI in Italy and for former president George W. Bush in Washington D.C. This past summer, Laura competed on season six of NBC's Nashville Star, finishing in 6th place out of the 45,000 acts that auditioned for the show.

Information about the Rising Star Talent Competition is available online at playhousesquare.org/artseducation.

PlayhouseSquare places incredibly strong emphasis on arts education and believes that it is essential to improving the quality of life in our community. Through a variety of workshops and classes designed for people of all ages, the PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department offers avenues to discovery, appreciation and development in and through the performing arts, connecting participants with national and international artists in unique and meaningful ways. PlayhouseSquare initiates collaboration among educators, artists and other community organizations, and actively forms mutually beneficial partnerships with local arts organizations to create and present arts education experiences of the highest quality. Always striving to fulfill its role as an asset to the Northeast Ohio community, PlayhouseSquare is an active leader in advocating arts education both locally and within the performing arts industry.