Talent needed to ensure Sesquicentennial Star Search event goes on as planned

    Presque Isle  –  Last month a call for talent went out to the community for individuals to take part in the first major activity to celebrate the city’s upcoming 150th anniversary. As the Jan. 17 date for the event fast approaches, organizers are hoping more individuals, duos and small groups will apply to take part to ensure the event does not get cancelled.      Star City Star Search is planned for Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Presque Isle Middle School Auditorium. Individuals of all ages and talents, who were born in the Star City or currently reside in Presque Isle, are eligible to sign up to perform and compete for the title. The problem is not enough performers have signed up to date to make the show a go.
    The show is open to entertainers representing all genres of talent, including instrumentalists, vocalists, dancers, magicians, dramatists, comedians, among others.  The project is a collaborative effort between the Presque Isle Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee and the Northern Maine Community College Foundation, which is coordinating the event.
    Individuals interested in participating in the Star City Star Search event are encouraged to download an application from the NMCC Web site at www.nmcc.edu. Applications can also be picked up at the information window in the Christie lobby on the NMCC campus Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information or to have an application mailed, contact the NMCC Foundation at 760-1188.
    Organizers have set Jan. 6 as a deadline for applications and will determine on that date whether or not the show will be held as planned.
    “We are really hoping more people will sign up to be a part of the Star Search competition. This is a one-time event and was planned to kick off the celebration,” said Aimee Wilkins of the NMCC Foundation, who is co-producing the show. “I know there are many talented people that live in and were born in Presque Isle. We need them to take part to make this event a success.”
    NMCC and the NMCC Foundation were offered the opportunity by the Sesquicentennial Committee to host a staged production during the upcoming celebration. The Foundation agreed earlier this fall to coordinate an activity that would serve as both an evening of entertainment and a kickoff.
    “The coming year will be an important and memorable one for the people of Presque Isle. Northern Maine Community College has played a pivotal role in both the city and the county for the most recent five decades of Presque Isle’s history and will do the same for this celebration,” said Richard Engels, chair of the NMCC Foundation board of directors.  
    Star City Star Search will resemble the popular television show hosted by Ed McMahon, which ran between 1983 and 1995. The show was re-launched by CBS for two seasons between 2002 and 2004.  
    Similar to the television production, the Presque Isle event will feature judges who will individually award up to four stars for each act’s talent presentation. The audience in attendance will vote for their favorite act following the final performer and additional stars will be awarded to the individual acts based on that tally to determine a winner. In the event of a tie, the audience vote will determine the winner.
    The winner of the competition will become an entertainment ambassador for the city throughout the anniversary year, appearing and performing at events in Presque Isle and surrounding communities.