Emily Kay Shrader and David Tomczak win Bobby Cronin's The Rising Star Contest

18-year old Emily Kay Shrader and 2010 Roosevelt University graduate David Tomczak have been named the winners of The Rising Star Contest for Bobby Cronin's November 29, 2010 concert, as part of Jim Caruso's Broadway at Birdland Series.

The Rising Star Contest was created by composer/lyricist Cronin to give hard working and up-and-coming actor/singers a chance to be showcased among current Broadway performers. Emily Kay Shrader and David Tomczak's entries stood out among the hundreds of entries, and will perform "Is This Love" from A Christmas Carol, written by Cronin and Angelyn Fullarton Benson.

The 7 PM concert will feature Cronin at the piano along with Tituss Burgess, Dee Roscioli, Andrew Samonsky, Kate Pazakis, Andrew Kober, Gerard Canonico, Jenn Furman, Autumn Hurlbert, Katrina Rose Diderickson and Carrie Manolakos with Ceili O'Connor, Erik Sisco, PJ Verica, David Gordon, Ashley Dawn Mortensen and Geoffrey Kidwell.

The band will include Josh Samuels on drums, Danny Stone on bass and Chris Lane on guitar.

The Roads I'm Taking will give audiences an inside look at the several projects composer/lyricist Bobby Cronin is writing including: Welcome To My Life (with co-book writer Alicia Dempster), 'Til Death Do Us Part (with book writer Allen Mogol), Cyrana (with award winning book writer Crystal Skillman and Kate Pazakis), the award winning Ten Reasons I Won't Go Home With You (with book writer Kelly Nichols), and two projects with LaQuet Sharnell's STEP Theatre Company (Caty Bridgewater and Daybreak).

Cronin is a co-writer of That's Andy (with Kevin Carter and Crystal Skillman) and has written music for the web series Thank You, Next. Cronin is a graduate of Yale University and a member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild. His debut CD "Reach The Sky" is available on iTunes and Amazon and in stores in the US and London.

Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street. There is a $25 cover charge plus a $10 food/drink minimum; under 21 allowed. For reservations call (212) 581-3080 or visit www.BirdlandJazz.com.

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