Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
ALYSSA CANNON, of Bessemer, performs “Hey Soul Sister” by Train in her audition for this year’s HIT Idol at the Historic Ironwood Theatre Sunday afternoon. Cannon used a lyric sheet handwritten by her friend for luck, she said.
IRONWOOD — Auditions for the third annual HIT Idol at the Historic Ironwood Theatre wrapped up Sunday afternoon, with results on finalists to be announced today.
More than 50 auditioned, said Diana Hansen, one of the event’s coordinators. She expects that number will have to be whittled down to between 40 and 45.
“It’s really nice that so many people showed up, especially with so much going on this weekend, with homecomings,” said theatre director Bruce Greenhill.
More adults tried out this year than in prior years, Hansen said, partially because many singers were seniors in high school last year and came back this year.
The show is set for two nights, Nov. 8-9.
Finalists will perform with Casey Abrams from American Idol’s season 10 in a group number, and then the six finalists will perform with him.
The first show, on Nov. 8, will include all the finalists, said audition judge Jeannie Williams. Two performers will be selected as winners in each category that night: youth, high school and adult. On Nov. 9, the final six will open for Abrams.
The judges will be a varied group with musical backgrounds in performance and community theater, Williams said, from the four counties that the contestants hail from; Iron and Vilas counties in Wisconsin, and Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in Michigan.
Last year’s winners in the youth category were Leah Braucher and Eddie Carrothers; in the high school category were Kate Averitt and Julia Whalen, and in the adult winners were Jonathan Haas and Aubre Heoeft. They are not eligible to compete this year, Williams said.
HIT Idol’s first-year winners who auditioned this year include Ethan Puisto, Vanessa Nasi, Ruger Manzer, Veronical Cannon and Jenny Sombrano, Williams said.
“It’s fun to see the kids coming back and how they have grown, with their vocal skills blossoming,” Williams said. The kids who’ve never auditioned before bring a talent “that continues to impress me,” she said. “I’ve been entertained all day.”
This year’s contestants brought a wide variety of styles, from country to jazz, gospel to contemporary, said audition judge Annette Burchell.
Rehearsals begin Saturday.
