Meet the Top 20 finalists for Suburban Chicago's Got Talent
It's showtime for the Top 20 finalists of Suburban Chicago's Got Talent.
They've made it through the initial auditions and now they have to shine for the judges to move on in the summerlong competition sponsored by the Daily Herald, the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg.
All 20 will perform Sunday, June 22, at the Prairie Center. The judges will then weigh in on the acts, which include a dance crew, a violinist and a bumper crop of singers specializing in genres like country, pop, opera and hip-hop.
Fans can vote for their favorite as well. Online voting begins Wednesday, June 25, and runs through Sunday, June 29, at dailyherald.com, where there will be photos and video clips of the contestants.
The top online vote-getter will be guaranteed a spot in the Top 15, and the all-around Fan Favorite wins a Funjet vacation for two.
By August, the field will be winnowed down to 10 acts. The Top 10 will perform both at the Prairie Center for the Arts on Sunday, Aug. 3, and at the Taste of Arlington Heights on Saturday, Aug. 9, when the ultimate winners will be announced.
The new grand prize for 2014 is a “STARter Kit,” featuring a concert performance as an opening act for a major headliner at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, a professional concert-style photo shoot, a promotional video drawn from live SCGT competition footage and professional talent mentoring.
THIS YEAR'S 20 FINALISTS
James Agena
Hometown: Bloomingdale
Occupation: Student at Stratford Middle School
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist(s): Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson
Dennis Caravello
Hometown: Mount Prospect
Occupation: Server
Talent: Singer-songwriter
Favorite artist: John Mayer
Ryan Cooper
Hometown: Schaumburg
Occupation: Alexian Bros. central distribution
Talent: Vocalist and guitarist
Favorite artist: Paul McCartney
DeMuziq Artis (DeMarcus Artis)
Hometown: Oak Park
Occupation: Customer specialist at Avant Credit
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: John Legend is my favorite singer-musician, and Usher is one of my favorite performers.
Samantha Erne
Hometown: Elk Grove Village
Occupation: Student
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: Kristin Chenoweth. I really like her singing because she can change her voice to fit the part she is playing.
Agne G (Agne Giedraityte)
Hometown: Downers Grove
Occupation: Student
Talent: Classical singer
Favorite artist: Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli
Sheridan Hurtig
Hometown: Mundelein
Occupation: Student
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: Demi Lovato because she has gone through so much at her young age and she shows that you can persevere and succeed if you put your mind to it, and she inspires others to do the same thing.
Jaooo (Jordan Madonia)
Hometown: Hoffman Estates
Occupation: Factory work
Talent: Hip-hop singer/writer
Favorite artist: There honestly is nobody that really stands out to me. I see a whole lot of conformity based upon what kind of music will make money. If I had to say anybody, it would be Lecrae.
Mike L (Michael Lueck)
Hometown: Des Plaines
Occupation: Carpet cleaner
Talent: Multigenre singer
Favorite artist: John Legend
Mysterious Krew
Hometowns: Sean Adams of Hanover Park, Vernon Davis of Streamwood and Armond Mayberry of Hanover Park
Occupation: Dance
Talent: Dance troupe
Favorite artist: Jabbawockeez
Sydney Litka
Hometown: Wauconda
Occupation: Student
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: All pop singers
Duebwa Loving (George Lee)
Hometown: Springfield
Occupation: Performer
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: Michael Jackson
Bryana Martinez
Hometown: Chicago Ridge
Occupation: Violinist
Talent: Singer
Favorite artists: Sarah Change and Olga Breeskin
Rachel (Rachel McPheeters)
Hometown: DeKalb
Occupation: Teacher
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: My roots are in country. I enjoyed female pop stars through college, but today, I particularly enjoy singing artists of the 1960s.
Carly Meyer
Hometown: Northbrook
Occupation: Student
Talent: Classical singer
Favorite artist: Diana Damrau is an excellent coloratura opera singer. I listen to her every day.
Farah Morales
Hometown: Mount Prospect
Occupation: Mother and receptionist for Salon Cienna in Palatine
Talent: Singer
Favorite artists: I have many artists that I love dating back to old-school jazz — 1920s to present-day. Nina Simone is one of my favorites. Today: Alabama Shakes, ZZward, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons
Alyssa Peterson
Hometown: Hoffman Estates
Occupation: Waitress
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: Sara Bareilles
Marirose Rueth (Rose Rueth)
Hometown: Glen Ellyn
Occupation: Student
Talent: Country/rock singer
Favorite artist: Taylor Swift
Hope Rose (Hope Jirsa)
Hometown: Forest Park
Occupation: Student
Talent: Country singer
Favorite artist: Miranda Lambert
San Sandberg
Hometown: Geneva
Occupation: Student
Talent: Singer
Favorite artist: Carrie Underwood
Suburban Chicago's Got Talent Top 20
<b>Location:</b> Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg, (847) 895-3600, <a href="http://prairiecenter.org">prairiecenter.org</a> or <a href="http://dailyherald.com/events">dailyherald.com/events</a>
<b>Showtime:</b> 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 22
<b>Tickets:</b> $10
<b>Upcoming shows:</b>
• Top 15 show at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 13
• Top 10 show at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3
<b>Host Rob Pileckis</b>
The Chicago resident has hosted events like Screen Test Student Fest film festival, Summer Breeze Concert series and the Schaumburg Youth Orchestra's “Presto!” holiday concerts. He's also conducted interviews onstage with celebrities like opera star Danielle de Niese and Robert Osborne from Turner Classic Movies. For his day job, Pileckis works as production supervisor at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts.
<b>Top 20 Judges</b>
<span class="x BTO fact box text bold">Beth Waller,</span> Cultural Arts Supervisor for the Schaumburg Park District
<span class="x BTO fact box text bold">John Flamini,</span> Chairman of the Cultural Commission, Village of Schaumburg
<span class="x BTO fact box text bold">Barbara Vitello,</span> Daily Herald staff writer
<span class="x BTO fact box text bold">Diana L. Martinez,</span> president of Spark Creative Consulting and director of the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn