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Sept. 12 judging will decide opener for Clooney Concert
Friday, August 22, 2008 9:22 PM EDT
The singer who claims the title will open the show prior to Michael Bolton's performance during the Rosemary Clooney Concert on Sept. 27 in Maysville.
The event is being staged in conjunction with The Maysville Players in honor of Rosemary Clooney's 80th birthday and to mark the 10th anniversary of the concert series.
Washington Opera House Executive Director Mike Thomas said Sunday, 26 entries were received for the contest which encouraged women age 16 and up to compete for the spot. Applicants were required to live within a 70-mile radius of Maysville, submit a recorded DVD or CD performance of one song, which was not to exceed four minutes, in the style of Rosemary Clooney and/or featuring a performance from the Great American Songbook, including Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, etc.
The deadline for consideration was Aug. 11.
The six finalists are Rebecca Staggs of Maysville who sang "Glory of Love"; Phyllis Holleran of Brooksville who sang "In the Cool Cool Cool of the evening"; Jessica Sassler of Cincinnati who sang "Don't Know Why"; Rachel Rogers Blackwell of Maysville who sang "All of Me"; Jinny Fardo of Cincinnati who sang "Hey There"; and Harriet Jackson of Ripley who sang "You do Something to Me."
"We had 26 applicants. They were all great. Tremendous," said Thomas. "We were very satisfied with the quality and caliber of talent that submitted to be the next girl singer,"
Five judges, some from the local area and some from Lexington, according to Thomas, received a CD with all 26 entries on it to judge the contestants.
"They (judges) received a blind ballot with just a number and title of the song .. we've asked them to rank them one through six," Thomas said prior to Friday's announcement.
The finalists will sing Friday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. at the Washington Opera House at 116 West Second Street, in downtown Maysville, in front of a panel of five judges who will vote. The winner will be announced that night and sing their winning song to open for Michael Bolton.
Tickets are free. There is no reserved seating. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Thomas said a new panel of judges, none of whom will be from the local area, will be selected for the live performance. He also said the concept of allowing the audience to vote has been scratched, because organizers wanted to make the final judging "as fair and equitable as we could."
Contact Barbara Goldman at barbara.goldman@lee.net or 606-564-9091, ext. 274.
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