Sign up to audition for Suburban Chicago's Got Talent

Registrations are starting to pour in for Suburban Chicago's Got Talent, but there are still spots available for acts looking to put their performing skills to the test.

There are 70 private auditions for the family-friendly summer talent contest. Performers can check out the rules and sign up at events.dailyherald.com/scgt16.

Auditions will be held Thursday, June 16, through Saturday, June 18, at Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts.

So far, singers and musicians make up the majority of the 2016 applicants. Yet other entertainers — including magicians, comedians, dance crews and performance artists — are also encouraged to apply.

Now in its fifth season, the local talent contest is co-sponsored by the Daily Herald, Onesti Entertainment, the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce and Valli Produce.

At stake is the top prize, called a STARter Kit. Valued at about $5,000, it 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.

Another valuable aspect of the competition is the direct feedback from a panel of judges after each performance. Suburban Chicago's Got Talent contestants can use the feedback to hone and improve their acts with the hope that they'll make it through beyond the Top 20, Top 15 and Top 10 rounds.

“I have been very successful since the show last year,” said Amanya Amariel, a Chicago singer who was a Top 10 Suburban Chicago's Got Talent finalist in 2015.

Since her Suburban Chicago's Got Talent appearance, Amariel has gone on to open for Here Come the Mummies at the Arcada Theatre. She's also been nominated at the Chicago Music Awards in the category of Best Female Vocalist.

“I am so happy and excited to be nominated considering I am an independent artist who has no label behind me,” said Amariel, encouraging people to cast an online vote at chicagomusicawards.org.

Suburban Chicago's Got Talent also has an online component with its Fan Favorite prize. After each of the first three live competition rounds, 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 move on, and the act with the most cumulative online votes wins a Fan Favorite prize to be determined.

Audiences can head to the Prairie Center for the Arts to attend the Top 20 round of Suburban Chicago's Got Talent on Sunday, June 26. The subsequent Top 15 and Top 10 performance rounds are at the same venue on July 17 and 31. The winners of Suburban Chicago's Got Talent and the Fan Favorite prize will be announced after a free concert at the Taste of Arlington Heights on Saturday, Aug. 6.