By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The 11th annual Northern Star regional singing competition, which serves as a fundraiser for the United Way of Aroostook, kicks off Friday night in the St. John Valley. Productions in Presque Isle and Houlton will follow Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
According to Claudia Stevens, executive director of the United Way of Aroostook, applications have been steadily coming in.
“I would say the numbers of applications are up in central Aroostook. As of Jan. 27, we’ve received 17 applications,” she said. “We’ve received about a dozen applications for Houlton and 10 for the St. John Valley show, but I still consider this early. A lot of people do not send these in until the very last minute. The number of applicants for those shows will be higher; they always are.
“Something that I’ve noticed in a lot of the applications that we have received this year is the contestants are young … 12, 13 and 14 years old. That gives us great hope that the program will go on for many, many years to come,” said Stevens, noting that the oldest applicant to-date is 70 years old.
The first competition is set for Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Fox Auditorium at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. The second regional show will be held Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Presque Isle Middle School auditorium, while the southern Aroostook production will be held Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. at the Houlton High School auditorium.
This year, as opposed to previous years, contestants can sign up for whichever date/location works best for them. Prior to last year, participants performed at the venue closest to where they live.
“Many times, over the years, we have had contestants unable to participate because they were working or had some other scheduling conflict with the regional show closest to them,” said Stevens. “We wanted to open the contest up to vocalists to participate in the show of their choice. We are also hoping this will mean people who attend our regional shows will hear the voices of singers they might not otherwise.”
Tentatively performing at the St. John Valley show are Savannah Hanlin of St. Agatha; Cady Hebert, Emily Marin, Nick Freeman and Amy Oakes, all of Fort Kent; Sonia Plourde of Portage Lake; Kent McLellan and Robin McLellan, both of Mapleton; Benita Ouellette of New Sweden; and Adam Ouellette, Stacy Coltart and Sean Coltart, all of Madawaska.
Competing in Presque Isle will be Jayden Pimental, Austin LaPlante, Kianah Pelletier, Jamilynn Deschesne, Paula Jamieson and Mike Guzman, all of Caribou; Amelia Roy of Limestone; Allison Plummer of Washburn; Sydnee Waters and Jacob Graham, both of Mapleton; Faith York of Fort Fairfield; Brandon Hosford of Easton; Denise Michaud of Van Buren; and Kacie Chapman, Charles Munn, Stu Wyckoff and Nicole Adams, all of Presque Isle.
Planning to take the stage at Houlton’s regional show are Chloe Wheeler of Bridgewater; Taylor Reed and the Rev. Mark Fuller, both of Houlton; Michael Ouellette of Westfield; Chuck Grim of Ludlow; Dan Rooney of Presque Isle; Justin Quinones of Caribou; Kristen Mazur of New Limerick; Michelle Doody of Fort Fairfield; and Tazay Hill of Limestone.
Organizers of this year’s Northern Star season — which first began as Aroostook Idol before growing to include competitors from neighboring parts of New Brunswick — are planning a new twist to this year’s contest.
“Essentially, our audience will pick their top two contestants from each regional show in Fort Kent, Presque Isle and Houlton, as they have for several years. The added twist is that instead of the judges picking the third finalist to head to our finale production, they will actually pair each of the audience selections with a pick of their own. Each of the contestant pairs will work with a regional judge to prepare and sing one song together at the finale,” said Stevens. “At the finale, the audience will vote for the contestant in each pair they feel is the strongest. The audience picks will then compete solo in the final round for the 2015 Northern Star title.”
Audience members can plan on hearing some great local talent at the upcoming shows.
“We have found phenomenal talent throughout Aroostook County,” said Stevens. “I am always shocked by the hidden talent that steps out there on the stage. People who attend a show are going to hear some very good singers.
“This is also an opportunity to give to a worthwhile cause. People are asking for money all the time, and by doing this type of event, you’re contributing to a great cause in the United Way of Aroostook,” she said. “Our expenses are very, very minimal, and the money raised from this event goes directly to the programs and agencies that we help fund. [By coming to a show] you’re investing in your community and having a good time doing it.”
Organizers will continue with changes they made to the judges panel a few years ago when they went away from having the same three judges appear at each regional venue. Instead, three local “celebrity” judges from that specific region will sit on each panel. The local judges will help “coach” the regional contestant pairs for the finale, including picking the song they will perform.
In Fort Kent, judges will be Pam Cyr, who won the singing competition in 2009; Samantha Boutot, who won in 2006; and Charlie Ouellette. Presque Isle judges will be Tamia Glidden, Gary Bowden and Mel Smith, while critiquing the Houlton singers will be Brandon Clark, who won in 2013; Eric Gustin and James Mattila.
Stevens, who will co-host all the shows with Jason Parent, said more than $493,000 — which includes in-kind donations — has been raised since the competition’s inception.
“It’s unbelievable,” she said.
Admission to each regional show and the finale production is $10. Tickets are available at all KeyBank branches, and any remaining tickets will be sold at the door. The Northern Star Finale will be held Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. All proceeds from funds raised at the door will go directly to the United Way of Aroostook’s annual campaign.
For more information, contact the United Way of Aroostook at 764-5197.
