BRIGHT NIGHT’S GOT TALENT WINNERS ANNOUNCED.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PLEASE POST OR PRINT
KILL DATE 12/31/11
MEDIA CONTACT: ADAM GERTSACOV, 401-288-1231 adam@brightnight.org
BRIGHT NIGHT HAS GREAT TALENT
From Opera to Rap, Four young artists earn spots on Bright Night roster
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| Rapper Adonis Da Don of Providence. |
(12/12/2011, Providence, RI) On Saturday afternoon, in a club in downtown Providence, over one dozen young performers and their families anxiously awaited the results of a tabulation.
The contestants, who ranged in age from 11-19, had all given up their afternoon to pursue their dreams of fame, fortune, and the life of a performer. The prize today was four paid performance slots at Bright Night Providence, the largest New Year’s Eve Festival in the state.
“Our mission is not only to support and showcase current local artists, but to help nurture and develop the next generation of artists as well,” said Adam Gertsacov, festival director of Bright Night, and a professional clown.
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| A.S.M., a 7 member dance troupe from Warwick. |
“This was the first year for the Bright Night’s Got Talent Program, and we are so pleased with the response from these fine young performers.”
Judge Al Gomes agreed. “There was a lot of talent on the stage today. It’s really great to come to an event like this and have such high quality performers. That’s not always the case.”
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| Alison Hornung of North Kingstown |
Gomes should know. He is the head of Big Noise, a local record marketing agency that has worked with the likes of Christine Aguilera, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Beach Boys. He is also on several Grammy committees, and has been a regional judge for American Idol.
Other judges included stage magician Chris Carbone; accordion virtuoso (and former accordion prodigy) John Juxo; and actress, director, and theatre educator Elizabeth Keiser.
The results from the judges were all in, and Gertsacov gathered everyone to announce the winners. “Even if I don’t call your name today, don’t give up your dreams, “ Gertsacov told the assembled group. “Part of show business is not getting selected, and learning to keep your vision and drive to continue to perform.” He also announced that every performer who tried out, regardless of how they did in the competition, would receive a free ticket to Bright Night.
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| 16 year old self-taught opera singer Ariel Ayotte of Cumberland |
He then revealed the winners, a diverse bunch from all over the state. They include: 16 year old self-taught opera singer Ariel Ayotte of Cumberland; 11 year old Providence rapper Adonis Da Don; singer Alison Hornung of North Kingstown, and A.S.M., a group of 7 dancers aged 12-17 from Warwick.
They will all take the stage as part of the Bright Night Celebration at the RI Convention Center on New Year’s Eve. The young performers will open for more established artists performing at the Bright Night Family Fun Fair at the RI Convention Center from 12 noon to 5pm.
“I guess I’ll have to prepare a couple more songs,” said Alison Hornung, one of the winners. “It will be a lot of fun.”
VIDEO OF THE FOUR WINNERS AUDITIONS COURTESY OF BRIGHT NIGHT PROVIDENCE
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ABOUT BRIGHT NIGHT PROVIDENCE
Bright Night Providence is an artist-run New Year’s Eve Celebration now in its Ninth year. The festival features over 160 performers in 14+ venues throughout the downtown Providence area. Shows go from 12 noon to 12 midnight and beyond.
Other artists on the Bright Night bill include international star illusionist Brad Ross, local legends Big Nazo Puppets, Grammy-winning storyteller/singer Bill Harley, bebop sensation Greg Abate, the Extraordinary Rendition Band, a blues swing/dance party featuring the Black and White Blues Band, mentalist Rory Raven, storyteller Mark Binder, and a host of other artists and events. A full schedule will be available in mid-December on the Bright Night website, https://www.brightnight.org.
Tickets to Bright Night are available online at https://www.brightnight.org/purchase.html, and in person at all BankRI locations and at the EastSide Marketplace. Tickets are $10 each if purchased on or before December 15. Starting December 16, tickets are $15 each through December 30. On the day of the event tickets are $20 each ($15 for children and seniors)
For more information about tickets call 401-288-1231, or visit https://www.brightnight.org. To purchase tickets via telephone call the Brown Paper Tickets 24/7 ticket hotline: 1-800-838-3006)
Donation and corporate sponsorship opportunities are still available. Major sponsors of the event to date include the city of Providence, the State of Rhode Island, AAA, Lite Rock 105, GoLocalProv, Lamar, Motif Magazine, Bank RI, Empire Guitars, and Open MRI of New England. To become a donor, visit http://donate.brightnight.org.
To find out more about Bright Night Providence, visit https://www.brightnight.org.
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