Five exceptional and well-matched singers were chosen to advance as finalists in this year's MetroStar Talent Challenge on Monday.
The 9th annual competition's Final 5 are
David Baida,
April Leonhard,
Stanley Martin, Samuel McDonald, Wendy Scherl. They go head-to-head in what promises to be a nail-biter of a finale on Monday August 22, at 6:30pm.
This is the second time the contest has reached its crescendo with 3 men and 2 women in the finals (in 2013
Lauren Stanford came out on top). After performing mini sets consisting of two new songs and a song repeated at the request of the judges, the finalists wait for the verdict of the audience and jury voting. The current MetroStar
Minda Larsen, and the 2012 MetroStar
Billie Roe (who was added as a permanent judge this year) will entertain during the break. Finally the Top-3 winners will be announced, and a Special Audience Award will be given to the singer (chosen from the Top 8) who has connected in unique and significant ways with the audience.
Baida, Leonhard, Martin, McDonald and Scherl are the last singers standing from an initial pool of 50. The 7-week competition, that challenges singers to raise their standards and push themselves artistically, got underway on July 11. It is open to solo singers and vocal duos of all ages, backgrounds and styles who have not played a major engagement at the Metropolitan Room (defined as a 4-show, primetime run of the same show in a fixed period).
The contest's permanent judges include Roe; the singer and director
Gretchen Reinhagen; the Metropolitan Room's booking manager and cabaret producer
Joseph Macchia, and cabaret journalist
Roy Sander, who has served as jury chairman since the contest's inception. Top director
Barry Kleinbort has been MetroStar's resident mentor for the second year-in-a-row, offering performance-improving pointers to the contest's late-stage contestants.
The MAC Award-winning host
Tom Gamblin has been holding court for his sixth season as the contest's master of ceremonies and talent wrangler. MetroStar's resident music director is the rock-'n-roll-solid
Tracy Stark.
Since it began in 2008, MetroStar has launched and redefined the careers of several standouts in cabaret and jazz. Past winners, in chronological order have included
Anne Steele,
Liz Lark Brown,
T. Oliver Reid,
Marissa Mulder,
Billie Roe,
Lauren Stanford,
KristoffeR Lowe, and
Minda Larsen, the 2015 MetroStar.
MetroStar offers a career-boosting package of prizes and professional encouragements, including production support for a Met Room primetime engagement. The contest's co-producers are Met Room owner
Bernie Furshpan, Macchia, Gamblin, and
Beck Lee.
The 2016 MetroStar Talent Challenge has performed on seven consecutive Mondays since July 11. All shows are all at 6:30pm; the cover charge for all shows is $20, with a two-drink minimum. The Nightlife, MAC and Bistro Award-winning Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street, celebrated its 10th anniversary in May. For reservations call
212/206-0440 or to order online visit
www.metropolitanroom.com
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