Center Theatre crowns talent search winner

DOVER-FOXCROFT — On Saturday, Sept. 15 the Center Theatre hosted the grand finale of its first annual Central Maine Talent Search. The show, sponsored by J.M. Arbour Wealth Management, featured six talented performers, all of whom had been winners of preliminary events. The six performers competed to see who would win the $500 grand prize and at the end of the night Parker Kelley came out on top.

Parker performed a dance routine to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” from 1982 that wowed the 200-plus members of the audience. Before his performance, Patrick Myers, the Center Theatre executive director, asked Parker what he might do with the $500 prize money and Parker said the he would “Probably buy the new Spider Man game for the PS4 and then save the rest for college.”

Photo courtesy of Center Theatre
HE’S GOT TALENT — Parker Kelley, right, winner of the first ever Central Maine Talent Search, stands next to Center Theatre Executive Director Patrick Myers holding his $500 winner’s check during the Sept. 15 event finale.

The other competitors that night were Elora Kares singing the “Diva Song” from 5th Element, Connor Plante with a solo ballet routine from Les Corsair, Lydia Gilman, singing “L’Ultima Notte,” Hannah Poland who sung “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri and Harold Badger who played guitar and sung an original work entitled “Easy.”

The Center Theatre is planning to run the Central Maine Talent Search again in 2019. If you are interested in more information about the talent search or any other program of the Center Theatre, call the theatre at 564-8943, visit www.CenterTheatre.org or visit the theatre at 20 East Main Street between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. The Center Theatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to make arts, culture, education, and entertainment accessible in our rural communities.