His final song was "Who I'd Be" from Broadway's Shrek: The Musical. It capped a winning five-week stage adventure for West Chester's 13 year old JD Triolo who won The Media Theatre's 2015 "Vocalist Junior" contest. Walking away with a $500 cash prize and a gift certificate for the theatre, JD beamed as he hugged the runner-up (Cassidy Else, 10, of Drexel Hill).
West Chester has a lot to be proud of with
JD Triolo. He stuck to his Broadway repertoire throughout the five week competition showcasing his brand of stylized music theatre. With a poise and competence rarely seen for someone of his young age, he captured the audience and the judge's attention each time he performed.
The rest of the top five were third place winner Veronica Garrubbo, 12, of Berwyn; fourth place tiny songstress
Ava Briglia, 8, of Media; and singer/ songwriter Sarah Shoumer, 10, of Wayne who actually performed two of her own compositions during the Junior singing contest.
The sky is the limit for these young talented performers. The one constant judge throughout was Artistic Director
Jesse Cline who spoke to the audience prior to the top five announcement. He reminded the parents and friends of the youthful performers and hopefuls that the entire five week process is a learning process and not to be discouraged if their favorite singer did not make it to the top five.
The evening started out on August 9 with 15 vocalists in act one which was narrowed down to five for act two. They were judged purely on each performance individually, as previous scores were wiped clean. The guest judges were two elementary educators (Kristin Arbutina and
Dorothy Brown, who also instructs tap and ballet for the theatre); Broadway actor Nicholas Saverine; and Iron Workers Bank President
John Whitig. Iron Workers is the corporate sponsor for the "Vocalist" and "Vocalist Junior" competitions.
The summer singing contest was created by Cline to highlight the importance of music education and theatre training. The "Junior" competition is now in its sixth year, while it's older counterpart--both in the age of the singers and the longevity of the event--just finished its tenth season.
For information about The Media Theatre's educational opportunities, classes, and upcoming shows, visit
mediatheatre.org or call
610-891-0100.
Pictured: Vocalist Junior winner JD Triolo with runner-up Cassidy Else
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