By Anthony Stanford –
The Aurora Public Library (APL) will be host to its 10th and final Teen Talent Show this Summer. The event is presented by APL’s teen librarians, Flannery Crump and Pat Schultz, and will feature contestants ranging in age from 12 to 18.
This year there are eight phenomenal contestants, all vocalists, who will perform at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28 at the Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Boulevard, downtown Aurora. The winner of the Teen Talent Show competition will receive a trophy.
In alphabetical order, by last name, this year’s APL Teen Talent show contestants will include:
• Elliot Gallegos, a Carmel Montessori Academy sophomore. Elliot is a multi-talented singer who, in addition to playing cello, likes to bake.
• Tationna Gray, a home-schooled eighth-grader who loves singing. Her favorite sport is baseball.
• JJ Hasulube, an Aurora Christian School junior, who plays five instruments and enjoys singing.
• Jovany Hernandez, an East Aurora High School junior, who enjoys expressing himself through song.
• Samantha Medina, a John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School eighth-grader. She has attended two anime conventions and won the 2014 Superhero Comic Contest at the Santori Library.
• Savannah Radcliff, a Metea Valley High School senior. She is involved in the school choir and plans to study clinical psychology, music, or music therapy in college.
• Brianna Rivera, a junior at Warren Township High School in Gurnee. Brianna said that singing is her hobby. She enjoys using her voice to entertain others.
• Mary Kate Schoessling, a seventh grader at Rotolo Middle School in Batavia. Mary Kate loves to sing, act, and dance.
APL is pleased to announce that five of the 10 former APL Teen Talent Show winners will attend and perform at the July 28 show. They are Barnali Behari, 2017; Corinda Singhothignal, 2016; San Sanberg, 2014; Kristin Rios, 2012; and Hayley Darukhanavala, 2010.
The APL is honored to announce that Paramount Theatre artistic director Jim Corti will be among the adult judges for this year’s competition. Several members of the Teen Advisory Board will serve as judges for this year’s competition.
The talent show performers, returning winners, hosts, judges, and teen volunteers all graciously donate their time and efforts to this community event.
For more information about the Teen Talent Show, call teen librarian Flannery Crump at 630-264-4125.
Anthony Stanford is an author and Aurora Public Library Media Consultant.