ON YOUR MARK, GET SET….. VOTE!
Cast your vote for your favorite contestants* and help them win
SOAR’s 2nd Annual Streeterville’s Got Talent Competition!
One talented contestant will win $1,000!
(The two runners-up will each win $250).
Each vote is only
$5
Vote as many times as you want.
Amy Meadows
Theater/Drama
For Fine Art lovers everywhere . . a droll review of works we appreciate and why. Smarta**ed standup with an unhealthy affection for proper punctuation. Bookish, bawdy and almost always grammatically correct. Instagram: miss_amy_meadows
Andrew David
Singer/Musican
Andrew David, 29, has been street performing in the Downtown areas of Chicago, IL since late 2017, under the handle @andrewtothemic. He is singing “I Will Always Love You” the beautiful song made famous by Whitney Houston in the film “The Body Guard”.
Brian McKnight
Singer/Musican
Brian sings an original composition, “All the Pleasures Prove.” Actor/director/musician, Artistic Director and founder of Glass Apple Theatre, his one-man band The Baker Street Irregulars has produced three albums. Learn more here.
Carlos Cannon
Jazz Saxophonist
Carlos Cannon is a Chicago Police Officer and one of Chicago’s finest smooth jazz saxophonists. In this video he is performing Grover Washington Jr., “Soulful Strut”. He has three smooth jazz CD’s at carloscannon.com
Chicago Ensemble
Musicians
After a year and a half of no public live performance, because of Covid, The Chicago Ensemble was pleased to participate in the Thirsty Ears Festival, August 2021. The Chicago Ensemble has for many years performed our series at 4th Pres. Video (Haydn: Trio in A Major) made in concert in August. Members of the group performing in this video are Jaime Gorgojo, violin, Andrew Snow, cello and Gerald Rizzer, piano.
Dan Schwarzlose
Musician
Dan Schwarzlose is Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, founder of Elastic Arts in Chicago, and a founding member of the Northwestern Medical Orchestra. Dan is playing a solo trumpet performance of Theo Charlier’s Etude #2 – Du Style
Derick Lengwenus
Comedian
Comedian Derick Lengwenus is an international headliner known for his bold, funny, and intelligent style. The Just For Laughs Festival describes his act as “Clever comedy with a quick left turn into absurdity.” Since his original appearance, Derick has gone on to appear at the prestigious festival five times and earned an audience choice award in 2006. Derick’s standup comedy routine can best be described as a fearless dissection of taboo subjects without sinking into vulgarity.
Frannie Packard
Dancer
Originally from Ohio, Frannie lived in Italy for 23 years, studied cooking in Paris, and was chef to a Governor. She has been dancing since childhood, including ballet, tap, and ballroom for 12 years. She also dances the waltz, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, tango, rumba, bolero, swing, argentine tango, salsa and even disco! You can find her on Facebook, Messenger, and Messages.
Guitarra Azul Band
Chicago’s very own Guitarra Azul band is featured in this video. The song they are playing is called “Antonio’s Cumbia” from their latest album “Café Bolero”. Other members of the band include: Steve Edwards, David Chiriboga, Rafe Bradford, Osvaldo Aviles, Ronaldo Monge, Howie Kantoff and Javier Saume. To learn more about their music, visit https://guitarraazul.net/index.html
Irene Michaels
Singer
Irene is a singer, songwriter, musician, and has preformed in venues including Winter’s Jazz Club, Davenport’s, Le Piano, Arcada Theatre, and The Chicago Fine Arts Building. Irene is performing “Sincerely” in her video.
Jack Chen
Pianist & Viola Musician
Jack has lived in Streeterville for the last 3 years. In his free time, he loves to play play classical music! In this video he is performing “Elegy in G minor for viola and piano”, by Alexander Glazunov.
Joseph Martin
Musician
Joseph Adam Martin is an author & TEDx speaker who has toured the US and performed at top Chicago venues. These days, he plays music as a hobby. In this video Joe performs “Hey Mama” by Kanye West.
Robert Solone
Singer
Bob Solone, a native of Chicago, 50-year performance career. For full schedule and links check out: https://bobsolone.com
Rika Nishikawa
Singer
Rika Nishikawa is a 9th grade homeschooler who loves singing, dancing, and acting. She also loves reading and writing. She recently won several writing and multimedia contests. She is performing “A Cockeyed Optimist” from the musical “South Pacific.”
Sabrina Tay
Singer
Sabrina has been making music since she was a kid and is happy to now be a self produced singer songwriter! Sabrina performs “Like Real People Do” by Hozier.
Sonya Oyola
Singer
Sonya Oyola is a family medicine doctor, who also teaches at University of Chicago. She has been taking voice lessons and loves to sing. In this video she is singing on Zoom with her friend and accompanist, Mark Burnell.
Towers of Excellence
Youth Performances
Towers of Excellence is a youth mentoring organization that provides quality mentoring through academic guidance, social and emotional support, experiential and service learning opportunities to youth in neighborhoods throughout Chicago
Victor Garcia
Jazz Trumpeter
Victor Garcia is a Grammy-nominated, world renowned jazz trumpeter who was born and raised in Chicago. He tours regularly and has shared the stage with Aretha Franklin, Arturo Sandoval, and Wynton Marsalis. This video is of his trumpet solo which he improvised on Chick’s Tune, a song written by Chick Corea. It was performed it at the Jazz Showcase by Victor’s band. Other band members are Rocky Yera, Dan Murphy, Scott Hesse, and George Fludas.
William Wetmore
Dramatic Reading
The paragraph Bill reads is from the book he is currently writing, While an accountant whose career centered on using the left side of his brain, he became
a certified scuba driver, piloted a small Cessna, and sailed the Mackinaw race single-handed, which he describes as “the dumbest thing I ever did.” In retirement, Bill decided to exercise his brain’s right side. He’s studied acting, playwriting, and improv, performing at Second City. His one-act play about his heart attack experience was performed as a comedy/tragedy at Chicago Dramatists Theater.
Youngran Chung
Musician
Youngran is a physician who has been returning to music. She studied piano seriously as a child; learned some violin as a medical student then cello as an older adult. She is playing the piano with accompanying vocals by her puppy, Enzo.