The show must go on for the 10th annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition, an areawide contest showcasing the most talented high-school students, who get their chance to perform on stage at the Fox Theatre.
The final round of competition is traditionally held live in April at the Fox Theatre but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to a partnership between the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation and Nine PBS, the show will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, on the Nine Network.
This year marks the competition’s 10th anniversary – and the first time without the usual capacity crowd cheering on the contestants live at the Fox. The finalists’ performances were taped in front of a small group of their closest family and friends at the theater, along with a minimal film and stage crew behind the scenes.
Finalists include a variety of singers, musicians, dancers, aerialists and a juggler. Their performances were directed by Broadway actor, dancer, director, choreographer and St. Louis native Tony Parise, who worked with choreographer Yvonne Meyer Hare and music director Steve Neale.
The panel of judges is comprised of St. Louis-area arts professionals with careers spanning music, dance and Broadway, such as COCA co-artistic director of Dance Antonio Douthit-Boyd; Tony nominated actress Taylor Louderman; acclaimed actor, director and singer Ken Page; and award-winning jazz vocalist Denise Thimes.
The first-, second- and third-place winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Aug. 10 broadcast. Following the broadcast, viewers are encouraged to join emcee Ben Nordstrom and last year’s Teen Talent winner Joanna Serenko for an online celebration on the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation website. The online event will feature a special performance by Serenko, who was a recent finalist on “The Voice,” as well as the announcement of additional prizes and scholarships.
