LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! Musicians, singers, dancers, jugglers and more come together for the opportunity to shine on stage, and shine is exactly what they do each year at the annual CPRA Night of the Stars Talent Show. Year after year, this event proves to be a great community crowd pleaser and character builder for all involved.
In 2004, after a 10 year hiatus from talent shows, the City of Englewood decided that it would be great for youth to once again have an opportunity to “shine” on a competitive level. The event was such a hit that the City of Englewood decided that all Colorado kids should have the opportunity to experience a little local stardom, and an invitation was extended to various recreation departments to join in a collaborative effort to create a state wide “Night of the Stars”. With the current enthusiasm on television surrounding the performing arts competitions, the timing was perfect; and several cities jumped on board holding the first multi-city talent show in 2006.
Night of the Stars Talent Showis an easy event to start up with the help of the “Night of the Stars Committee”. The committee assists recreation departments in all of the facets of running a competition to ensure a successful event, including standard information forms for participants and judges, a checklist of what to do when, and a point of contact for when questions arise. The process begins with each city or group of cities hostinga local show. The competition is divided into three age groups (K-4, 5-8, and 9-12); each participant competes in one of three categories (Voice, Dance, or Variety) within his or her age group. All first place winners from the local shows are theninvited to compete in a state wide competition. With sponsorship from outside sources and entrance fees to the shows, cities generally recover approximately 90% of all costs. In addition to youth performing in the show, youth are also involved behind the scenes with various opportunities for involvement such as representing the youth panel as a judge, helping with ticket sales, distributing programs, set up/tear down, and distributing snacks during intermission.
CPRA has a long standing history in providing successful youth athletic competitions (Rocky Skills Challenge, NFLPuntPass and Kick, and the Nugget Skills Challenge, etc.), and the Night of the Stars Talent Show has been added to the list foryouth with an interest in the performing arts. The Night of the Stars talent show is all about boosting self esteem, teaching kids about dedication, and creating a consistently positive community experience.