Clay Aiken to host DPAC's virtual showcase, awards show for local teens
Some really talented teenagers will be on a virtual stage as part of the Triangle Rising Stars Virtual Showcase and Awards Show via the Durham Performing Arts Center this week.
Singer and actor Clay Aiken, a Triangle native, will host the event, which takes place at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 20. The 20 finalists will be featured in a group performance as well as a medley of individual performances where each student will showcase their own solos, according to a press release. The 2019 Triangle Rising Stars Best Actor Ben Eble and Best Actress Haven Bowers will also perform a special duet. The virtual presentation can be watched here online.
“This unique year for Triangle Rising Stars has shown us that there are some true benefits to offering a virtual experience, including that the program is now more inclusive than ever,” said Megan Rindoks, community engagement manager at DPAC, in the release. “We are seeing many new faces of students who have not previously been eligible to participate because their schools do not produce musicals each year, and it has been a pleasure seeing the wide scope of their talent. We cannot wait to watch our finalists shine virtually.”
The Triangle Rising Stars Virtual Showcase and Awards Show will feature 20 student finalists from high schools in the Triangle and surrounding area competing to earn the title of Triangle Rising Stars Best Actor and Best Actress, according to the release. As the official Central and Eastern North Carolina qualifying event for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Triangle Rising Stars Best Actor and Best Actress recipients will each receive a $1,000 scholarship and be invited to attend the virtual National High School Musical Theatre Awards this summer.
A panel of guest judges with extensive Broadway experience will judge the contestants. They are Lisa Jolley, Dirk Lumbard, Yolanda Rabun and Aiken. They've appeared in Broadway shows such as Hairspray, The Music Man, On Your Toes, Barnum, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and now work to support arts education and inspire the next generation of theater professionals, according to the release.
More than 100 students from three dozen high schools submitted applications. The top 20 finalists represent schools including Heritage High School, Millbrook High School, Apex Friendship High School, Enloe High School, Cary Academy, Holly Springs High School, St. David's School, Durham School of the Arts, Raleigh Charter High School and Athens Drive High School.
To learn more, head over to DPAC's website.
