On a recent cruise I had the pleasure of entertaining on, there was a large contingent of seniors, to the point I imagined myself as an extra in a Cocoon sequel. They were the nicest people and best audience I’ve had in quite awhile (I’m pretty sure it was my rendition of “I Get By With a Little Help From Depends”). They did all of the usual shipboard activities you would expect – line dancing classes, pottery and bingo (which to some is more like religion than recreation). What pleased but did not surprised me, was some of the other things they did, with an energy level that had me checking their cabin trash for empty cans of Red Bull. Zumba. Rock climbing. Zip lining. And one more that you would think would reflect the interests of the young and bored – a vocal competition that rivaled the intensity, histrionics and heartbreak worthy of any of their TV counterparts. It was called Princess Pop Star and since I was the comedian on board, I had the honor of being one of the judges. But while I was doing my best Simon Cowell impression, I began to be more and more genuinely entertained and at times, amazed. Once a singer, always a singer. They might have gone from “Teenage Wasteland” to “Middle-age Waistline” but they told their skills to “Not Fade Away.”
On the 9th of July, The Algonquin Theatre in Manasquan will give you the opportunity to show you that I am not completely crazy (although for awhile I thought Ron Paul had a shot) as The Shore Repertory Theatre Company presents Shore Senior Idol. Auditions were held in June and the amateur contestants (no professionals allowed) ranged from the mechanic who fancied himself the next Toby Kieth to a 60 year old woman who sang Rihanna songs in the shower. So you know what you’re in for, here are some of the rules for the audition process:
Contestants must be 55 years or older;
Auditioners can accompany themselves, use a pre-recorded track or sing accapella;
NO songs by Fiddy Cent or P Diddy were allowed unless they were combined into a Fiddy Diddy number.
The judges were members of the community and included celebrities, local dignitaries and entertainment professionals. Contestants were based on performance, appearance and an undying devotion to Regis Philbin. After several rounds, finalists were announced and the others were left to watch old reruns of Ryan Seacrest combing his hair. Major prizes will be awarded to the top three finalists with the grand winner taking home $500 and a tweet from Larry King.
The presentation is sponsored by the Shore Repertory Theatre Company, which has been providing quality theatre entertainment and theatre education to the Jersey Shore for years. A non-profit organization based in Brick, they have produced comedies, dramas, musicals and children’s entertainment at affordable prices. They support not only the performers but also the artists and set craftsmen and add to their local communities and their state.
So take a break from the TV and see what live vocal competitions are like. The finals take place at the Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan on July 8 at 3:00PM. There will be tears of joy, and sorrow. There will be applause and cheering. There will be NO wardrobe malfunctions!