Tickets on sale for “Rocket City’s Got Talent!”
HUNTSVILLE – Tickets for the inaugural gala, “Rocket City’s Got Talent!” are now available.
Presented by the Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater, Rocket City’s Got Talent! will be a high-energy celebration that will gather over 500 supporters, including arts and theatre lovers, community leaders, and business professionals for an evening of stories, song, music, laughter, and so much more.
Performers will showcase the abounding talent of North Alabama in front of a panel of local “celebrity” judges. The winner of “Rocket City’s Got Talent!” will be awarded a cash prize, in addition to other promotional prizes that will benefit them as a performer.
The Gala is June 7, 6 p.m. There will also be a silent auction and complimentary food and drink.
Tickets are $75 dollars. All proceeds will support Fantasy Playhouse’s mission and programming that uses the transformational power of theatre to inspire and shape children.
Confirmed contestants include:
• Akshay Ahuja, comedian, has performed across the South and brings a unique perspective on life in America by highlighting his Indian culture. He is preparing for a filmed comedy special in Washington D.C. this summer.
• Emily Louise Hoppe, vocalist and instrumentalist, teaches music, middle school chorus and theatre, as well as after-school ukulele and theatre clubs. She has been a teaching artist at Birmingham’s Red Mountain Theatre Company (RMTC) since 2010.
• Dr. Reginald Jackson, saxophonist and musician, currently serves part of the teaching faculty of the University of Alabama at Birmingham as well as a private instructor at his own studio. He is an integrative instructor for the Arts Council S.T.E.A.M. program for educators and has released 10 instrumental CDs and a series of piano/keyboard books.
• Jecky Bean, the Indie musical duo of Sarah Mitchell and Meredith Johnson, writes original music and creates music videos that showcase their theatrical backgrounds and love for their hometown. They founded the Homemade Jams Singer-Songwriter Showcase in 2018.
• The O’Faoláin Academy of Irish Dance, lead instructor Michelle Guthrie is an Open Champion dancer and one of the top placing dancers in the Southern Region. She is currently under the guidance of Jennifer O’Faoláin-Bartley as she obtains her certification under the An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha in Dublin, Ireland.
• Abi Schneider and Stephane Schneider, Swing Dancers, currently travel around the Swing Circuit teaching, judging and competing in the All-Star division. They are both hired for multiple West Coast Swing dance events every year.
• Jennifer Simmons, vocalist, has been active in the Huntsville theatre community for the past 26 years and most recently appeared in FPCTA’s “Akeelah and the Bee.” While working at NASA, she won first place in Marshall Space Flight Center’s talent show in 2012.