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Actors’ Playhouse to Launch Young Talent Big Dreams - A Whopping, Show-Stopping Local Youth Talent Search Presented by The Children’s Trust

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – August 12, 2010 – Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, together with presenting sponsor, The Children’s Trust, announced it will launch the most widespread local youth talent contest in Miami-Dade history, Young Talent Big Dreams. Kids between the ages of 8-17 will compete for prizes ranging from performing arts scholarships and cash awards to tickets to local attractions and theatres. County-wide competition begins in September, with auditions at six local theatres, and concludes with the semifinals and finals during President’s Day Weekend in February 2011. The contest will feature a total of eight categories including individual song, dance, spoken word and musical instrument, and group categories of song, dance, musical groups and instrumental groups. Participation is free of charge and limited to residents of Miami-Dade County.

Six preliminary auditions will take place in diverse locations throughout Miami-Dade, including the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, Joseph Caleb Auditorium in Miami; Mary Ann Wolfe Theatre at FIU in North Miami; the Wertheim Performing Arts Center at FIU in west Miami-Dade; ArtSouth Sanctuary Theatre in Homestead; and the Byron Carlyle Theater in Miami Beach. The semifinals and finals will be held in February 2011 in front of a live audience at the Miracle Theatre. Participants may compete in one category only, and those who pre-register will be given priority audition times.

“We believe there is a lot of talent out there, but very few opportunities to showcase these extraordinary young individuals,” said Barbara S. Stein, Actors’ Playhouse Executive Producing Director. “Through this initiative, we hope to enable children from all corners of the county to participate and show us what they’ve got.”

Young Talent Big Dreams is modeled after the many reality TV talent shows that have gained in popularity in recent years. Judges will include a host of local celebrities and professionals from the performing arts community. Each act will be allotted up to one minute during their preliminary audition performance, and two minutes for the semifinal and final round performance.  Two contestants in each performance category from each preliminary audition location will be invited to compete in the semifinals and three contestants in each category in the semifinals will move on to compete in the finals. There will be eight winners and one grand-prize winner chosen during the finals.

“This is a wonderful program in terms of scope and reach,” says Modesto E. Abety, President and CEO of The Children’s Trust. “We hope it serves to further highlight the value of arts education in our community, which does so much to not only stimulate artistic expression for our youth, but also to build self-esteem, improve academic achievement, provide cultural enrichment, create well-rounded citizens and broaden the horizons of all our children.”

Participation in Young Talent Big Dreams requires parental consent and is limited to residents of Miami-Dade County. Detailed information including the audition schedule, competition rules, and registration forms, is available online at www.actorsplayhouse.org.

About Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Actors’ Playhouse is the nonprofit resident theatre company and managing agent of the historic Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Actors’ Playhouse, which has brought home 63 regional Carbonell Awards for artistic excellence, is a Florida Presenting Cultural Organization and one of 22 major cultural institutions in Miami-Dade County. In addition to its main stage season, Actors’ Playhouse offers a year-round season of Musical Theatre for Young Audiences, a National Children’s Theatre Festival, a Theatre Conservatory and Summer Camp Program, as well as educational arts outreach programs for underserved youth.

About The Children’s Trust
The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.