Powell River’s young stars will be shining brightly on Saturday, February 12 at the eighth annual Powell River Idol competition held at Evergreen Theatre.
Ten finalists between the ages of 12 and 17 have been picked from about 30 participants who tried out during auditions in October 2010 and will now be competing and cooperating during the final gala event. The finalists have been preparing for the past two months on solo and group songs and are ready to show-off their talents.
It will be a retro night at the Evergreen as participants perform songs from and wear costumes inspired by the 1980s. Organizer Jerald Formby of Proline Video and Imaging, hinted that there might be a little Billy Joel, a little Journey and definitely some Madonna performed over the course of the night, along with other blasts from the past.
The night will open with a group number before each contestant performs one 1980s song. A second round of solo performances will see each contestant singing a song of their choice, regardless of era or genre. Two more group songs will kickoff the show after intermission, during which time judges will decide the winner. There will also be a performance from last year’s winner Jessie Whitehouse.
Judging this year’s event will be Powell River Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Terry Peters, Gary Vander Hoeven from Investors Group, City of Powell River Councillor Debbie Dee and Mark Nicholls from Sun FM. The first place prize, sponsored by First Credit Union, is $800. There will also be a People’s Choice Award decided by the audience and sponsored by Powell River Chamber of Commerce that will see one contestant receiving $200.
Formby has been running the event for six years now and said it’s always a great time. The participants quite often take part two or three years in a row they enjoy it so much. Formby said the level of talent this year is high and that among other attractions the inclusion of four 12-year-old participants will be a highlight.
“We usually maybe get one that’s good enough to get in,” said Formby, “but for some reason this year, these 12-year-olds, they beat out the older girls for sure.”
The show starts at 7 pm and tickets for the event are $16 or $12 for children under 12 and are available at Pete’s Plumbing and Heating, Taw’s Cycle and Sports, the chamber or at the door if they don’t sell out. One dollar from each ticket sold will go toward Powell River Youth Resource Centre and if the event sells out organizers will add $300 to the pot for a total donation of $1,000.
