Suburban Chicago's Got Talent finalists rock the house
The Top 10 contenders for Suburban Chicago's Got Talent brought down the house Sunday with energizing, toe-tapping, provocative, and heartfelt original performances at the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg.
Brianne Cannataro, 12, of Schaumburg revved up the audience's energy in the first half with her tap-dance number choreographed to Beyoncé's "Run The World (Girls)."
Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald theater critic and one of four contest judges, said Cannataro's song choice was a perfect culmination to a historic week marking the first woman presidential nominee.
"The timing is perfect," she said. "I think your choreography is top-notch."
Cannataro also recently returned from competing in the weeklong Hall of Fame Dance Challenge in Virginia Beach where she placed first and won the state title, she said.
Geneva singer San Star Sandberg, who is participating in the contest for the fourth time, charmed the judges and audience with her rendition of 1975 Grammy Award winner "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian.
"We got to see a whole different side of you," said Beth Waller, Cultural Arts Supervisor for the Schaumburg Park District. "I really felt at many times you were really connecting with it."
Judge Diana Martinez, president of Spark Creative Consulting and director of the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, likened Sandberg's "sultry, sexy" voice, combined with her "good girl" appearance, to the appeal of Doris Day and Marilyn Monroe.
"You have an aura that is attractive and marketable," she said. "Your vocal control is amazing."
Newcomer percussion band The Pack Drumline delivered a powerful, showstopping performance in the tail end of the evening with their heart-pounding original number about homelessness that drew whistles, cheers and a standing ovation from the audience.
"This was an experience," Waller said. "This was everything that you would want from a performance and more. You brought everyone to their feet."
Lead artist Perry Mister of Aurora said band members wanted to create something representative of the streets. The performance started with the words, "Time to wake up."
Videos of all of Sunday's performances will be uploaded Monday to dailyherald.com/entertainment/talent, where fans can vote for their Fan Favorite until noon Friday.
The Fan Favorite - determined by the most cumulative online votes - receives an entertainment package worth more than $600 in gift cards from local restaurants, theaters and attractions.
The Top 10 finalists will perform again 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Taste of Arlington Heights, where winners of the Fan Favorite and grand prize will be announced.
The grand prize is the "STARter Kit" - worth $5,000 - which includes the chance to open for a national headline act at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles and to perform at Schaumburg's Septemberfest. The package includes career mentoring by Onesti Entertainment and professional video and still photo shoots of a live performance and production.
Suburban Chicago's Got Talent is co-sponsored by the Daily Herald, Onesti Entertainment, the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce, Amita Health, Valli Produce, Salon Lorrene and Zeigler Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Schaumburg.