Top 20 named for Suburban Chicago's Got Talent
The 20 finalists have been named for Suburban Chicago's Got Talent. Musicians make up the majority of the competitors, and a few are repeat finalists from the past four years of the summer talent contest. The finalists are:
• Annie Young Gospel Blues Band, an ensemble from Streamwood
• Brianne Cannataro of Schaumburg, a tap dancer
• Abbey Collins of Manhattan, Illinois, a singer and guitarist
• Fenced In, a band featuring Meghan and Caitlin Foley of Villa Park
• Alex Guzman of West Chicago, a singer
• Sheridan Hurtig of Mundelein, a singer
• Joelle of Arlington Heights, a singer
• Jesse Leon of Melrose Park, a singer
• Logi & the Finger, a singer-songwriter band from Libertyville
• Ken Markovic of Darien, a singer-songwriter and guitarist
• Rachel McPheeters of Dekalb, a singer
• Nate Mitchell of Lombard, a singer
• Monk 9, a two-person band featuring Tom Repetny of Oak Lawn and Joe Kernan of Bellwood
• Danny O'Brien of Geneva, a singer and guitarist
• Osvaldo Paese of Des Plaines, a singer and guitarist
• The Pack Drumline of Aurora
• Rhea of Richmond, a singer and guitarist
• Garrett Ryan of West Dundee, a singer-songwriter
• San Star Sandberg of Geneva, a singer
• Skyline Semblance, an acoustic/rock band featuring Rachel Frazier of Naperville
Each of the finalists perform at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg. Subsequent Top 15 and Top 10 performance rounds are July 17 and 31 at the same venue. The ultimate winner will be announced after a free concert at the Taste of Arlington Heights on Saturday, Aug. 6.
The competition rounds are crucial. After each competition performance, videos of the finalists will be posted at dailyherald.com for the public to view and then vote. The contestant with the most online votes after each round is guaranteed to advance in the competition. The act with the most cumulative online votes wins a Fan Favorite prize to be determined.
The main prize is the "STARter Kit," which includes the chance to open for a national headline act at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, career mentoring by Onesti Entertainment and professional video and still photo shoots of a live performance and production. The STARter Kit is valued at about $5,000.
For 2016, Suburban Chicago's Got Talent is co-sponsored by the Daily Herald, Onesti Entertainment, Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts, the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and Valli Produce.
Top 20 show
Where: Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg, (847) 895-3600 or <a href="http://prairiecenter.org">prairiecenter.org</a>
When: 6 p.m. Sunday, June 26
Tickets: $10