STATE COLLEGE — Know a talented kid who should be on stage?
Happy Valley’s Got Talent, Tides’ primary fundraising event, is seeking talented Centre Region kids to audition from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, at Bellefonte Elementary School, 100 W. Linn St.
New this year, Happy Valley’s Got Talent is focused solely on kids — there will be no adult talent portion of the show. From vocalists to dancers, musicians and more, kids are invited to audition. Four acts in four new categories will advance to the finals and compete for cash prizes ($250, $150, $75 and $50 in each category) at The State Theatre in State College on Saturday, March 18.
The four divisions are:
■ Future Fame Division (kindergarten through fifth grade)
■ Rising Stars Division (sixth through eighth grades)
■ Prime Time Division (ninth through 12th grades)
■ All In Division (group acts with three or more performers; can be mixed ages)
There is no fee to participate, and all performers are asked to register online prior to the audition dates. In-person registration will be accepted at auditions, space allowing.
Audition information and registration forms are available at www.tidesprogram.org or by contacting the show’s producer, Jerry Sawyer, at jvs3@psu.edu.
TWO PERFORMANCES
“Happy Valley’s Got Talent” will feature two performances.
A matinee at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 18, at The State Theatre, will highlight the same finalists as the evening performance, and will allow kids in the audience the opportunity to vote for their overall “Kids’ Choice” winner in each category.
The final performance at 7 p.m. will be judged by local school administrators and special guests. The evening event will have additional featured performers and a text-to-donate option, with all proceeds going to support Tides. Local radio host Jerry Valeri from Big Froggy 101 and Majic 99, promises to entertain as emcee for both shows.
“Happy Valley’s Got Talent” was created as the signature fundraiser event for the Tides program seven years ago.
“We couldn’t be more excited to align this year’s HVGT with Tides’ mission — kids,’ said Suzanne Thompson, executive director of Tides. ‘A huge amount of support has come from the schools across Centre County. All of them granted me face-to-face meetings, have offered to help promote the auditions by sending out or hanging flyers, and some of the superintendents have even agreed to be judges for the final performances.
‘We could not make this a successful show without their help and I am grateful.”
Each additional year gains more exposure for performers and Tides alike. The goal of “Happy Valley’s Got Talent” is to raise $50,000 for the Tides program.
Tides is a peer-support program offered to grieving children, teens and the people who love them in Centre and surrounding counties. Tides was created specifically to support grieving children and teens as they try to understand and cope with their loss, to express their feelings and to find healing in their lives.
Tides meets the first and third Thursday of each month at Houserville Elementary School. Registration is required and is
available by calling (814) 692-2233. There is no fee to participate.
Tickets for the event and a red carpet preshow reception hosted by Metzger Animal Hospital at Indigo will be available at the State Theatre box office, www.thestatetheatre.org/happy-valleys-got-talent. For information about ticketing, call the State Theatre at (814) 272-0606.
More details about Tides and the “Happy Valley’s Got Talent” event are available at www.tidesprogram.org.
