PrintMore than 70 singers from Oklahoma and Kansas competed Jan. 23 in the first two rounds of the OK City Star contest, and 23 were selected to move on to the semifinals. The contest, open to all singers ages 16-25, is presented annually by the OK City Chorus of Sweet Adelines, an Allied Arts member agency.
In addition to a $2,000 Visa gift card, the winner will receive the composition and production of an original song. Matt Schinske will coordinate a group of Oklahoma songwriters to compose the piece, which will be professionally recorded at MK Production Studio. Other event sponsors are KMGL-FM 104.1 Radio and KOMA-FM 92.5. The semifinal round will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday on center stage at Quail Springs Mall. Singers qualifying for Saturday's semifinals are from nine cities and include Brendon Weaver, Choctaw; Brookelyn Davidson, Alex Hall, Jamie Smith, Breeana Walker, Angela Landsdown, Amy Niles, Natalie Reed and Raymond Mobley, Edmond; Christina Bender, El Reno; Jennica Kinney, Mooreland; Heather Appel and Tony Foster Jr., Norman; Emily Northcutt, James Foster, Krystal Loyd, Thaddeus Johnson, Brighton Cargal, Chris Wilson and Courtney Walters, Oklahoma City; Trevor Mastin, Shawnee; Ashley Tiller, Tulsa; and Torhi Finley, Yukon.
A panel of music experts will select 10 singers to move on to the OK City Star finals. This year's panel consists of Brandon Adams, musical theater performer from the 2008 Oklahoma Community Theatre Association winner "John and Jen"; Christina Burnett, past Oklahoma Opry female vocalist of the year and entertainer of the year; Erica Thomas, former director of Cimarron Circuit Opera Company; Kevin Smith, master director with the Thelma Gaylord Lyric Academy, and Shawn Casey, co-anchor of the KMGL's "Magic in the Morning." Casey has a vocal music degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.
The OK City Star finals will be at 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at Edmond's Santa Fe High School auditorium. In the finals, the audience will act as a judge with each member receiving a ballot. For more information, go online to www.okcity.org or call 720-7464.