Get ready to be wowed once again by your fellow classmates! This year’s Calvin’s Got Talent promises to be a spectacular event. The show is on Sat., April 6 at 8 p.m. in the Covenant Fine Arts Center (CFAC) auditorium. Tickets are available at the box office for $3.
The stakes are certainly high for the competitors who range from bands, a cello quartet, stand-up comedians, to a dance act. $200 will be award to the “people’s choice,” as determined by an applause meter. The judges’ choice for best act will win $300 to be shared among the members of the act.
“In addition,” promises Paula Englin, coordinator of weekend programming, “we have door prizes: an Xbox Kinect, iPods and headphones.”
There will be a panel of four judges, including Molly Bouwsma Schultz, lead singer in the local band Blue Molly. This band won West Michigan’s local radio station’s Jammies Awards.
Calvin will also welcome Joanne Baily-Boorsma, the editor-in-chief of the Grand Rapids Press’s On the Town, an arts and entertainment magazine. Jonathon Chong, dance guild choreographer and two-time winner of Airband, will represent the student body as a judge. The fourth judge has yet to be determined.
Englin explains that because of their experience, these judges “will provide some feedback and suggestions to the performers as well as selecting the winner.”
“The judges will be looking for creativity, ability to entertain and move the crowd, and, of course, talent — the basics of good entertainment,” Chong adds.
The show will consist of four sections and each act will be four minutes long. Sophomore Daniel Joo, a member of the Nite Life team, says, “there was a lot of logistical work to get everything organized and set up a schedule.” Various members of the Nite Life team will act as MCs for the evening in between the different segments.
In early March, teams and individuals who wanted to participate in the program had the opportunity to audition.
“We actually had an overflow of acts,” says Joo. “We had 30 auditions but only accepted 20 acts.”
Joo explains that the various members of the Nite Life team who judged the auditions tried to select acts that would keep the show from being too redundant.
“I mean, if we had a show with seven amazing piano players I’m sure they would all do great, but we wouldn’t want the show to be all about amazing piano players.”
This year’s show will feature many musical groups, “But,” says Englin, “the diversity among them is very special.”
Joo adds, “I think we did a really good job of picking a variety of unique talents, which is good because we want this to be an amazing show!”
“I was an MC for Calvin’s Got Talent last year,” recalls Chong. “I laughed, I cheered and I got major goosebumps when I heard some of the performers sing. Get ready, because this is one of the best events on campus.”
