Kiwanis Club’s Talent Revue
showcases entertainers
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — More than two dozen performers took to the stage for the 59th annual Kiwanis Talent Revue, held Jan. 22 at Presque Isle Middle School. Acts included singers, dancers and musicians, competing in four categories: elementary, middle school, high school and adult. The show was a rousing way for the club to mark the final months of its 60th anniversary.
Opening the show was Presque Isle Kiwanis Club President A.J. Cloukey, who welcomed everyone to the event and explained some of the various activities club members are involved in, from the Christmas basket project, that distributes food and toys to local families in need, to work on a broader scale, assisting children and their families worldwide by providing shelter, food, medicine and education to those less fortunate.
Cloukey then introduced his wife, Shawn Cunningham, and Keith Madore, emcees for the evening.
Taking first place in the elementary division was Mayce Kinney who sang “The Climb.” Sydney Chavez and Sadie Kinney danced their way into second place with a hip hop performance to “Dynomite.” Also performing in the division for youth up to grade five were Kennedy Bencivenga who did a hip hop dance to “Boom, Boom, Pow,” and Makayla Shackett doing ballet to “The Briar and the Rose.”
In the middle school category for grades six-eight, Jordan Buckley sang her way to a first-place finish with “Note from God.” Taking second was Kimiye Gamblin who provided a little Celtic flare with a fiddle and step dance performance. Also competing in this division were: Dylan Shaw, who sang “Rhubarb Pie;” Angela Hallowell, performing “A Hundred Years” on piano; Kelsey Gilson and Emma Kinney, who did a hip hop dance to “Falling in Love;” and Aaron Swanson, singing and playing piano to “Let It Be.”
The MoonDance Star Cloggers performed in unison to the tune “Baby I Like It,” taking first place in the high school division for grades nine-12. Finishing second was Jordyn Shaw who sang “Feeling Good.” Also taking the stage in the high school category were: Alannah Orcutt, singing and playing guitar to “Back to December;” Erica Hemphill, performing ballet en pointe to “Journey to the Past;” Julea Gorneault, with a hip hop dance to “This is How a Heart Breaks; and Alecia da Cruz, with a jazz dance to “A Hundred Years.”
In the newly-expanded adult category — formerly limited to college-age entrants – four contestants had been scheduled to perform but only three were able to make the competition. Tyler Harding beat boxed his way to a first-place finish, with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight;” followed in second by Shayna da Cruz with a lyrical dance performance to “Fallen.” Jamilynn Deschesne also performed in the adult division, singing “Wind Beneath My Wings.” The eldest contestant, an octogenarian named Hank Eagle who’d been scheduled to sing and play guitar, was unable to attend.
Several other local performers provided entertainment between categories and prior to the judges’ final decision being announced. Miss Presque Isle 2010 Kori Kinney sang “Only Prettier,” wowing the audience as they waited for the stage to be set up for the next division. Randolph Michaud crooned a few country classics, including the George Jones tune “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Kelly O’Mara performed solo with “Can’t Live a Day Without You,” then was joined later in the show by Shelby Wilcox — the duo performed a disco classic with “Enough is Enough.” Providing musical entertainment while the judges debated their final votes, Presque Isle High School’s Key Club — a youth division of Kiwanis — did a flash mob dance routine.
This year’s high ticket sales award went to Kimberly Cook. Serving as judges this year were Wanda Ouellette, Jim Derosier and Jennie Savage. Hostesses to the judges were Susan Watson and Vicki Ketch.
In what has become a longstanding tradition, Jan Kok — director of this year’show — made his 58th appearance, closing the show, with the help of the audience and show participants, leading the group in singing “America the Beautiful.”
For more information on Kiwanis, visit pikIwanisclub.homestead.com.
