BRENDA GOUGH
NEWS Contributor
With 16 different performances, the ninth annual Mosaic Youth Talent Showcase Friday, May 16 at Knox United Church in Parksville is sure to be an entertaining evening.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Parksville, the event will shine the spotlight on some young rising stars in the community.
Local country singer Beth Marie Anderson is producing the show which offers scholarships to those who are selected to perform.
The 27 year old performed in the first talent showcase back in 2005 and since then she has been actively pursuing her dream of becoming a household name in the country music industry.
During the auditions for Mosaic Anderson said she saw many talented performers in a lot of artistic disciplines and admitted it was hard to narrow down the field.
“Every year there are a few kids I have to turn away. It doesn’t mean they are not talented. I just want the best of the best in the show,” she explained.
Anderson has been producing the show for four years and said that the audience appreciates the high calibre of talent she includes and that is why she is particular about the songs the youth perform.
From dancing to singing to musical theatre Anderson said the performers in the youth talent showcase are names to watch out for.
“There are so many young talented people. This year I have a couple of young girl singers. When I heard them sing, I was like, oh my gosh if they pursued this they could go far. It is a cool thing to have that talent when you are young. I am excited for them to showcase what they have.”
A talented singer in her own right, Anderson has been working hard on her own music career and getting some buzz in Nashville. She recorded her debut Open Road at the renowned studios of Dark Horse Recording in the country music capital and has spent time performing and writing music with some of the industry’s best talent.
As the organizer of the show she will also perform a song she wrote in Nashville in a duet with Erik Gow.
She said Gow is a great friend of hers and he will also be the MC for the night.
“Erik has been in countless B2B plays and musicals and is just finishing up acting school in Vancouver. He has been MC for Mosaic a few times and is back by popular demand.”
She said Gow has many talents and as a stand up comic he will bring a comedic flare to the diverse evening .
“Erik is going to do a short skit. I have a little bit of everything … there is a brass ensemble from KSS, a young guy who is going to play the trumpet which we have never had before, musical theatre, singer songwriters, classical and opera performances. It is an extremely wide range of talent.”
Anderson added the dance performances will include ballet, lyrical and highland dancing as well as a group performance by Dance 2 Disney. The dance troupe is leaving the next day to travel to Disneyland where they will be performing for top Disney producers and executives.
Tickets for the May 16 show are $15 for adults, $10 for students, 12 and under free. But them in Parksville at Bosley’s and Cranky Dog Music and at the Mulberry Bush store in Qualicum Beach. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Anderson said guests can come at 6 p.m. to bid on silent auction items in the lobby.
