Palm Beach Idols Returns to Maltz for Ninth Year

Emily Brooke, 12, of Wellington, Patricia Suarez, 16, of Boca Raton, Matt Siregar, 22, of Port St. Lucie and Daniel Cochran, 26, of West Palm Beach

Mark the calendar for Palm Beach County’s original, American Idol-themed talent search.

Auditions for Palm Beach Idols – the popular contest for performers of all ages – will take place from noon to 8 p.m. June 16 at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. The theater, in conjunction with the Maltz Jupiter Theatre Guild, is producing the ninth-annual regional take on the successful television show, set for 7:30 p.m. July 21.

Singers, dancers, musicians, comedians and more are encouraged to audition for a chance to win cash prizes. There will be three categories: youth, teen and adult. Each category will have three finalists decided by panel of local celebrity judges. The final winners will be determined by an audience vote.

“The guild loves this opportunity to bring the best talent in South Florida to our stage, and the acts get better and better each year,” said Eileen Weissmann, event producer and guild member. “It’s always a wonderful show, and contestants have the chance to win money and media exposure. We would love to see the next big star discovered at our theater.”

Previous contestants have gone on to star in such Broadway shows as Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins, and previous teen winner Anthony Espina has a successful career as a movie composer.

Celebrity judges include Rachel Leigh, of WFLX-TV, Tim Allan Walker, of 105.5-FM, Michele Wright, of WPEC-TV, Leslie Gray Streeter, of The Palm Beach Post, and Carol Saunders, of The Jupiter Courier.

“I have worked with and discovered some very big talent during my years working in radio, TV and entertainment, and I am elated to be a part of this year’s Palm Beach Idols at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre,” said Tim Byrd, one of the emcees. “You never know what can happen, and I am a big believer of going for it when it comes to dreams.”

The show is an annual fundraiser for the guild, which supports the nonprofit theater and its Paul and Sandra Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts.

Tickets for Palm Beach Idols are $25 and are on sale. For information, call (561) 575-2223 or visit www.jupitertheatre.org.