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U-46 students to shine in fourth annual TalentFest

Posted April 04, 2014 6:01 am

Submitted by Jeff Grosser

Bartlett High School seniors Joe Butler and Mike O'Malley sing "Run Away Baby" in harmony at a recent talent show at the HS in Bartlett. They will be performing at the Hemmens at TalentFest 2014. courtesy of Dave Tonge

Baton twirling. Dancing. Singing. Violin and ukulele playing. These are some of the acts on the lineup for TalentFest 2014, a showcase of some of the top high school performers in Elgin Area School District U-46.

The competition will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, at the Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. The public is invited. Tickets are $5 and available at hemmens.org.

Each of the five high schools in District U-46 will have held its own talent contest by that date, and each will have chosen two winning acts to compete at the TalentFest.

The schools choose their winners by a panel of judges or by audience votes, or in some cases a combination of the two.

The TalentFest was created four years ago during a brainstorming session of the Hemmens Advisory Board. This year's festival will be the fourth annual event.

All 10 acts will perform during the first act, after which the audience will vote for their favorite. The top five acts chosen by the audience will perform again in the second half. Celebrity judges will choose the first-, second- and third-place winners from those five. Those winners will receive a cash prize and a plaque.

The school whose two acts combined garner the most audience votes will receive the traveling TalentFest trophy until next year's event. Presently Elgin High holds that trophy.

Also performing this year is Joey Splinter, first-place winner at TalentFest 2013 and a graduate of Streamwood High School.

The celebrity judges this year are Jaime Garcia, chairman of the U-46 Educational Foundation as well as Executive Director of Centro de Informacion; Tish Powell, Elgin city councilwoman; Terri Dedecker, Fine Arts Coordinator for U-46; and two student judges. The emcee will be David Hunter of GreenRoom Productions.

Lauren Bergquist, a senior at Bartlett High School, will be twirling her baton at TalentFest 2014 at the Hemmens. She was one of two acts selected by judges in her school's contest. courtesy of Dave Tonge

Debbie Ogunribido, a junior at Elgin High School, came to the U.S. just five years ago from Nigeria. Drummer Chris Holling is also a junior. The duo, who will compete at TalentFest, was performing "Fire on the Mountain." Courtesy of Dave Tonge

Cloud Nine is the name of an a capella group from Elgin High School that will be going to TalentFest 2014 at the Hemmens. From left: John Hoskins, Zachery Rago, Austin Bernat, Arjele Bureros, Maddie Lag, Reza Khan, Michael Kelley, Abby Lag, and Jessica Rusick. Courtesy of Dave Tonge

The dance group High Impact performs at the Streamwood High School talent contest "So You Think You've Talent?" High Impact will advance to TalentFest at the Hemmens on Tuesday, April 15. Courtesy of John Konstantaras

Emma St. John plays the ukulele as she sings "Build Me Up, Buttercup." She is one of two acts that will represent Larkin High School at TalentFest 2014 at the Hemmens. Courtesy of Dave Tonge

Sarah Fischer plays violin as Kemmerin Blalark sings "All of Me." The duo from Larkin High School will be one of 10 finalists at TalentFest 2014 at the Hemmens. Courtesy of Dave Tonge

Mikayla Williams of Streamwood High School will advance to the U-46 TalentFest at the Hemmens. Courtesy of John Konstantaras

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