Meet the judges
Charlie Beck
Executive director of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
Beck assumed the role of Metropolis' executive director in November 2011 after a decade of working in and around Chicago as an actor. He appeared in several productions at Metropolis in the mid-2000s, most notably in the seasonal favorite “A Christmas Carol.” Beck is a resident of Palatine and a member of the governing board of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights. He brings a wealth of business experience, previously working more than 20 years as a marketing and senior executive in the pharmaceutical industry. Beck was a judge for the first Suburban Chicago's Got Talent.
Micky York
Resident musical director of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
York is an award-winning musical director, composer and designer whose work has been seen in theaters throughout the Chicago area, as well as regionally in Des Moines, Kansas City and Atlanta. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago. York also music directs and performs on multiple instruments and vocals with many solo artists and with such groups as Close To You: The Music of the Carpenters, the Wine Trio, and Chris Petlak & the Fill-In-the-Blanks. York was a judge for the first Suburban Chicago's Got Talent.
Barbara Vitello
Daily Herald staff writer
Barbara Vitello joined the Daily Herald in 1997. Assigned to cover arts, entertainment and culture, she served as critic at large until 2008, when she took over the Cook County courts beat. She continues to review theater as well. A Lisagor Award winner, Barbara has bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University. She was a guest judge last year for Suburban Chicago's Got Talent.