For many, Friday the 13th brings up deeply rooted superstitions. The remaining competitors in the Hudson Valley Voice regional singing competition are hoping to break that spell and find themselves one step closer to winning the whole shebang.
Forty-two hopefuls remain in the competition, and they’ll face off against one another in the second round this Friday in the ballroom at the Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club Village in Saugerties. At stake is a $10,000 purse, a 2-year lease on a Subaru and an opportunity to be noticed by industry professionals who could, ideally, help propel the cream of the crop into the pop charts.
The second round, according to the competition’s co-producer Stephen Tenner of Kingston-based Stella’s Productions, will reconvene one week later with roughly half the contestants still remaining. From there, the final 12 will face increasingly intense competition leading up to the finals on Wednesday, October 10.
Tenner, reached between the first and second rounds, is pleased with how the event has gone so far, and is especially impressed with the level of competition among those who remain. When the finals begin on Friday, August 3, they will perform with a live band and what Tenner called “an American Idol atmosphere.”
“We’re down to some really good talent,” Tenner said, noting that while entrants had to be at least 16 years old, there was no age restriction beyond that point.
“There are a couple of young contestants, and there’s a couple of older contestants that are really amazing,” Tenner said.“I was hoping we would get this kind of talent, but when you’re hit with it, it’s surprising and exciting.”
For more information on the Hudson Valley Voice – including how you can be part of the audience during a performance – visit www.thehudsonvalleyvoice.com.
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