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U-46 students get ready for annual TalentFest

Posted February 22, 2017 10:00 pm

Susan Klovstad

South Elgin High School senior Jack Bozikis of Bartlett will be moving on to the U-46 districtwide TalentFest 2017 to be held at the Hemmens on March 21. He used different sized Rubik's Cubes in his magic act. COURTESY OF DAVE TONGE

Talented high school students throughout Elgin Area School District U-46 are practicing their singing, dancing and other acts as they ready for TalentFest 2017.

The competition takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, at the Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way. Tickets, $5, can be purchased online at hemmens.org.

"The TalentFest is basically a talent competition featuring two finalists from each of the five U-46 high school talent shows," said coordinator Jeff Grosser. "Those finalists are chosen either by a preselected group of teachers or staff from their high school, or by audience voting.

At press time, South Elgin, Bartlett and Larkin high schools had already chosen their finalists; Streamwood High School's talent show was planned for Feb. 23, and Elgin High School's is set for March 2.

"At the TalentFest, each act will perform in the first act after which there will be an intermission during which each member of the audience will vote once for their favorite. Just the top five vote recipients will perform again in the second act, and five judges will select the first-, second- and third-place winners."

The traveling TalentFest Trophy, according to Grosser, is awarded to the school whose two acts receive the most votes from the audience.

The emcee for TalentFest 2017 is Kelsie Huff, Grosser added.

"It is important to note that the TalentFest is sponsored primarily by the U-46 Educational Foundation and the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission," Grosser said. "Without their support we couldn't do it."

South Elgin High School senior Alexa Molidor of Bartlett will be moving on to the U-46 districtwide TalentFest 2017. She played the piano and sang "Love On The Brain." COURTESY OF DAVE TONGE

Naomi Latta, a sophomore at Bartlett High School, sings "Listen" by Beyoncé at the BHS talent show. She is accompanied on piano by senior Kinga Smutek. COURTESY OF DAVE TONGE

Taking first place at the Bartlett High School talent show was a band that included performers Sam Witz, senior, Evan Neilson, junior, and senior Chester Hall. They performed "Daddy Lessons" by Beyoncé. COURTESY OF DAVE TONGE

Larkin High School's Tania Muro sings the Adele song "When We Were Young" during the 2017 Talent Showcase at Larkin High School in Elgin. Muro was one of two acts that qualified for the upcoming U-46 TalentFest competition on March 21, where they will compete against the top two acts from the other four district high schools. COURTESY OF JOHN KONSTANTARAS

Larkin High School students Esperanza Golden-Garcia and James Hohimer sing the Meghan Trainor and John Legend song "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" during the 2017 Talent Showcase at Larkin High School. COURTESY OF JOHN KONSTANTARAS

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