FRACKVILLE - Many talented boys and girls will take to the stage this evening at center court in the Schuylkill Mall to compete for the top spot in Schuylkill County Junior Idol V.
The latest edition of the popular singing competition has 41 contestants from communities throughout the county. The performances will begin at 6 p.m. in this first of four weekly competitions.
Before the competition begins, the audience will enjoy a performance by Reilly Lonergan, Minersville, the winner of last year's Junior Idol contest.
The first round will result in 10 performers selected for the Feb. 12 contest. The top six selected will perform on Feb. 19, followed by the top three on Feb. 26, when the winner will be announced.
The first-place winner will be awarded a $1,000 mall shopping spree, a $100 gift certificate and makeup consultation courtesy of the Bon-Ton, a professional studio photo shoot courtesy of Michael's Photography, a caricature package courtesy of Angie Jordan and the opportunity to sing at the Schuylkill County Fair in August.
Dana Baker, mall marketing director, said the contestants add up to a "great mix of talent." The competition is open to ages 6 to 15, with this year's entries ranging from 10 to 15.
"This is our fifth year already. Hard to believe for Junior Idol," Baker said. "We have some regulars who have come back, so there will be some familiar faces and then there are some new ones."
Baker said there are six boys scheduled to compete, which she said is a nice change since the majority of entries are girls. Last year there was only one boy in the competition.
"We also have some siblings competing. There are two sisters and a brother and sister," Baker said.
The sponsors are Pepsi, a main sponsor since the beginning of Junior Idol; Avalon, a mall merchant, and the Frackville Rotary Club.
The three judges will be Angie Jordan, Susan Smallwood and Jeff Miller, who will score each contestant on a scale of 1 to 10 in four categories: Stage presence, technical ability, showmanship and overall performance. Judges' scores will be tallied and the contestants with the highest overall scores will advance to the next round. The names of those who advance will be posted at center court, on the electronic marquee and on the mall website - http://www.shopschuylkillmall.com - at 3 p.m. the day after the performances. An email will also be sent to all contestants who provide an email address on their registration form.
Due to the large number of contestants, the first round will be modified slightly for time.
"We actually might have Reilly perform at 5:50 p.m. to open the program," Baker said. "We're not going to have the judges comment during the first round so the kids can sing their full song.
"We will also have our audience contest called 'Win for Watching.' Anybody who comes to support the contestants by attending at least two nights will be eligible to win a flat-screen TV."