LA’s Next Great Stage Star 2011 Rings in The New Year at Sterling's Upstairs, 1/2-2/6

LA's Next Great Stage Star 2011 rings in the New Year at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's, the most critically acclaimed, award- winning supper club of its kind in Los Angeles. The fifth anniversary presentation of this distinguished musical theatre talent competition shines the spotlight on an unprecedented twenty (20) young contestants beginning Sunday, January 2. The weekly competition concludes Sunday, February 6th and has, once again set advance record sales. The annual event continues to be Executive Produced by Michael Sterling with Associate Producer Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates (www.msapr.net), and judged by an elite panel of Los Angeles theatre industry professionals. James Lent returns as Musical Director for his second year. Award- winning Choreographer Tania Possick joins the competition for her first time. Nick Sartoris (Sound and Lighting) and Riccardo Robinson (Production Assistance and Additional Lighting) round out the creative team.

Selected through an audition process held in mid December, Stage Star 2011 competitors include: sisterand 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.

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; Nick DeGruccio - Artistic Director - Havok Theatre Company/Los Angeles, Director - Rent and 1776/Musical Theatre West/Long Beach, CA; 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 - Director - Chess and Oklahoma/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 and Victoria Morris - Kazarian, Spencer, Ruskin & Associates; Dave Secor - Daniel Hoff Agency; and Steven Dry - Schiowitz/Connor/Ankrum/Wolf, Inc.; and

Sunday matinee competition times and dates are 12:30 - 3:00 pm January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; and 11:30 am - 3:00 pm February 6, 2011.

Contestants will compete at each competition with no eliminations until the Finale on February 6, 2011. The Finale will determine the selection of one winner and four finalists. The winner will receive 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 the winner's act. Upon the winner's debut at Sterling's, he or she will also be provided with a luxurious 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. 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.

Additionally, the winner and its four finalists 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), Glenn Casale - Resident Director - California Musical Theatre/Sacramento, CA; and Lewis Wilkenfeld - Artistic Director of Cabrillo Music Theatre at the Fred Kavli Theatre in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza/Thousand Oaks, CA.

The winner will also receive a complete photo session with Hollywood celebrity photographer Michael Calas.

Attendance is by reservation only. For reservations, call Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's (818) 754-8700. A $12 entertainment cover charge and a $10 drink and/or food minimum apply for the first five competitions. An $18 entertainment cover and a $10 drink and/or food minimum apply to the February 6 Finale. Audience members are entitled to vote for their favorite performers at each competition. Audience votes will be added to the overall scores of the judges.

Since the premiere of LA's Next Great Stage Star in 2007, each year's winner has been signed by top Los Angeles Equity theatre agents and gone on to enjoy a professional career in theatre. In January, 2010, Merissa Haddad (2007) ended a year run as Mary Valli in the Chicago company of Jersey Boys. She also performed the role on Broadway during Fall 2010, and in December, 2010 joined the Las Vegas/Pallazo Resort production of the show in the same role.

Jantre Haskin (2008 winner) went on to perform with the Pacific Conservatory for Performing Arts and the Sierra Repertory Company in northern California and continues to star in southern California musical theatre.

2009 Stage Star winner Theresa Anne Swain starred throughout the U.S. in regional musicals, before migrating to New York.

Stage Star's Janet Krupin (2010), a USC Senior and Cinema major at the time of her win, was given her first Equity co-starring role/contract one week after the competition by Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Ms. Krupin was then hired as a featured cast member in the new musical Bring it On written by Tony Award-winning composers Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) and Tom Kitt (Next to Normal). The elaborate production (based on the motion picture of the same name) opens its U.S. National tour this month at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA.

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. In late May, 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, cast members from the U.S. National Tours In the Heights, West Side Story, and many more.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.