TV: An Off-Stage and On-Stage Look at LA's NEXT GREAT STAGE STAR 2011

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Following six weeks of fierce competition among 20 of California's finest young musical theatre performers, LA's Next Great Stage Star 2011 celebrated Judy Mora's outstanding victory at the 5th annual competition's glittering Finale on Sunday, February 6, presented by Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's, the most critically acclaimed, award-winning supper club of its kind in greater Los Angeles. Runners up included San Francisco's Michael David (2nd place); Matthew McFarland (3rd place); Emily Goglia (4th place); and Reba Buhr (5th place). Broadway World's Dean Butler was there to capture the three and a half hour event ... off and on stage - which also included a Special Guest Star performance by musical theatre, television star and pop composer/singer Blake McIver Ewing.

Conceived in late 2006 for the 2007 season by Executive Producer Michael Sterling and Associate Producer Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates (www.msapr.net), the event continues to be judged by an elite panel of Los Angeles most influential musical theatre industry professionals.

2011 Stage Star Judges include: Michael Donovan - Michael Donovan Casting - Theatre, Film, Television, Commercials; Daniel Solis - Disney Entertainment Casting; Musical Theatre Producers/Directors: Stephanie Coltrin - Artistic Director - Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center; David Elzer - Producer - The Marvelous Wonderettes, Life Could be a Dream; Steven Glaudini - Artistic Producer/Director - Musical Theatre West/Long Beach, CA, Director - Moonlight Amphitheatre, Vista, CA; Daniel Henning - Artistic Director - Blank Theatre Company/Los Angeles; Oanh Nguyen - Producing Associate - South Coast Repertory  Theatre/Costa Mesa, CA, Founding Artistic Director - Chance Theatre Anaheim Hills, CA; Robert Marra - Artistic Director - Musical Theatre of Los Angeles; Dan Mojica - Associate Director/Choreographer - Disney's Beauty and The Beast - National and International Tours; Ms. Rey O'Day Artistic Producer/Director - Performance Riverside at the Landis Performing Arts Center; Calvin Remsberg - Vocal Coach and Director: Broadway Rocks Anaheim - Heritage Forum; Sweeney Todd/Musical Theatre West/Long Beach, CA; Director/Composer/Writer Richard Hochberg - Scary Musical, The Musical - ASCAP Disney Workshop; Equity Department Theatre Agents: Jodie Bowman - Kazarian, Spencer, Ruskin & Associates; Dave Secor - Daniel Hoff Agency; and Steven Dry - Schiowitz/Connor/Ankrum/Wolf, Inc.

Selected by Sterling and Monsour through an audition process held in mid-December, Stage Star 2011 competitors included: sister and brother Cristina Ballestero and Matthew Ballestero, Giana Bommarito, Reba Buhr, Alexandra Catalano, Amy Coles, Michael David, Jesse Einstein, Emily Goglia, Danni Katz, Paul Marchegiani, Megan McDermott, Matthew McFarland, Judy Mora, Kate Ponzio, Katrina Rennells, Nick Sarando, Conor Tibbs, Ashley Elizabeth Wright, and Casey Zeman.

All 20 contestants at each competition with no eliminations until the Finale which determined the winner and four finalists. Ms. Mora received a $1000 cash prize and a lucrative, paid headlining engagement at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's during 2011. Noted Los Angeles director Richard Hochberg will direct Ms.Mora's cabaret act.

Upon Ms. Mora's debut at Sterling's, she will also be provided with a luxurious Executive Suite by the Sheraton Universal Hotel and dinner for two in the hotel's signature "Californias" Restaurant. The Sheraton has extended the same such gift to Stage Star's first runner up Michael David. Known as the "Hotel of the Stars" for nearly 40 years, the Sheraton Universal blends four-star service with the history and glamour of an iconic Hollywood hotel. The Sheraton's participation with Michael Sterling & Associates, marks the hotel's third year as a Gold Sponsor of LA's Next Great Stage Star.

Anderson Trophy Company of North Hollywood, CA also served as a Gold Sponsor for their first time, providing the top five contestants with official Stage Star trophieS. Anderson Trophy has been providing trophies and awards to North Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles since 1972.

For its second year as a Gold Sponsor, Dean Butler's Legacy Documentaries served as Stage Star's official videographer, in conjunction with Legacy Associate Producer/Editor Alexander Gittinger.
Mora, David, McFarland, Goglia and Buhr will receive auditions with Silver Sponsors: Julia Flores of Julia Flores Casting for (McCoy/Rigby Entertainment at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts just south of Los Angeles); Glenn Casale/Resident Director for California Musical Theatre in Sacramento, CA; and Lewis Wilkenfeld - Artistic Director of Cabrillo Music Theatre at the Fred Kavli Theatre in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Ms. Mora will also receive a complete photo session with Silver Sponsor and Hollywood celebrity photographer Michael Calas.

Other 2011 Stage Star Sponors included Hollywood's Pantages Theatre, the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood; Hollywood's Stella Adler-Gilbert Stage and The Ricardo Montalban Theatre; and The Pasadena Playhouse.

STERLING'S UPSTAIRS at Vitello's is produced by Michael Sterling of Michael Sterling & Associates, the Studio City-based entertainment public relations company. Since 1980, Sterling has represented such stellar clients as ElizaBeth Taylor, Lance Armstrong, Scott Hamilton, David Copperfield, Joan Collins, Alan Thicke, Carol Lawrence, David Brenner, Andy Gibb, and Robert Goulet. Aside from his celebrity clientele, Mr. Sterling has represented various National Theatre and arena tours, Los Angeles theatre productions, Emmy Award-winning television specials, celebrity books, albums and CD's. Sterling is also a critically-acclaimed director of musical theatre in Los Angeles, and has produced various theatrical events and productions throughout southern California.

In September, 2009, Mr. Sterling joined Broadway World TV with colleague and former Broadway and Television star Dean Butler (Into the Woods and Little House on the Prairie, respectively,) to become BWW TV's Los Angeles correspondents and co-hosts for television coverage of select theatre and theatrical events.

On May 31, 2010, Mr. Sterling, along with LA Stage Ovation-nominated actor/writer Paul Stroili, joined forces as co-creators, co-producers and co-hosts of the now hugely popular radio series State of the Arts presented by Breakdown Services and Performing Arts Live.com. The global series is broadcast live each Monday at 4:00 pm PST by the LATalkRadio.com Network, and (with the proper "app") can be heard on all iPhones and Android Phones. The series is also available on iTunes. To date, State of the Arts has hosted such stars as Carol Lawrence, Carol Channing, Florence Henderson, Richard Chamberlain, Mike Farrell, Jim Parrack, Tab Hunter, Donna McKechnie, Andrea McArdle, Skylar Astin, Sally Struthers, Marica Wallace, Roslyn Kind, Ryan Eggold, Gilliann Zinser, Michael Rupert, Megan McGinnis, David Burnham, cast members from the U.S. National Tours In the Heights, West Side Story, and many more.

 

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