Competition Showcases Orcas Talent

“That’s one hot round of people screaming for you”

— by Margie Doyle —

Donna Laslo

In its 10th year, “Orcas Has Talent” brings the best of local performances to the Orcas Center stage this Saturday night. (Remember! It starts at 6:30 p.m.!)

[Emmy Carter, Paris Wilson and Lisa Carter, 2014’s Orcas Has Talent winners, featured on “front page” photo]

Organizer Donna Laslo says, “I’ve been blown away by the talent; it’s been a phenomenal 10 years, with an incredible showcase of all-age, local talent. Islanders love watching their own.”

Julie Pinardi, Point Blank Teen Leadership Club advisor

The competition started in 2006 as “Orcas Idol” and over its 10-year span, has funded the local chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), called Point Blank by its high-school members, to the tune of over $60,000.

“Orcas Has Talent” has also been a greenhouse for the junior talent, Laslo says. From the beginning, it has had a separate competition for under-15 category. This year, that competition was won by break-dancer Leo Miller, who will perform at the show this Saturday night.

Laslo says that the “Orcas Has Talent” performance opportunity is different because it’s a competition. “Performing is always a difficult challenge, but when it’s a competition, people bring their “A” game — and I love watching the “A” game!

“They play at a level that’s hard to come by, and even though you may get eliminated, that’s one hot round of people screaming for you. ”

This year’s performers are:

• Cali Bagby
• Carl Burger
• Arianna Dean
• Susan Egon
• Sasha Hagen
• Michael Harlow
• Stormy Hildreth
• Brianna Rose

The coach-judges are:

• Jake Perrine
• Susan Osborn
• Karen Key Speck
• Ken Speck

and of course, the audience. Laslo insisted from the beginning of the event that the audience be part of the voting, and devised the system for distributing ballots, collecting and counting votes. Additional amazing talent has taken the stage during these breaks — from performances by past winners and Junior talent competitors, and in recent years, videos produced by Laslo. This year’s video will be clips of “the best of ‘Orcas Has Talent.'”
Over the years, the winners have been:

2006 — Jenole Peacock
2007 — Jason Kraayveldt
2008 — Locket Goodrich
2009 — Pamela Wright
2010 — KT Laslo
2011 — Laura Ludwig and Charles Dalton
2012 — Marissa Veldman
2013 — Kellen Comrie
2014 –Almost Classical — Paris Wilson, Lisa Carter, and Emily Carter

The judging system will be “weighted” this year, as the coach-judges will comment and vote. Their audience voters will “definitely have their say,” says Laslo, “and the coaches will be looking at the talent and performance criteria overall.”

Tickets are $25 for the Center Stage venue; tickets for the live feed in the Madrona Room are $10, and student tickets are available for $15. All tickets may be purchased at Darvill’s Bookstore.

“Orcas Has Talent” is produced by a committee headed by Point Blank advisor Julie Pinardi. Other committee members are Laslo, Jeanne Beck, Marcia Gillingham, Cheryl Kummer, Beth Rainey and Val Harris.

Lots of volunteers provide additional assistance, including Regina Zwilling as Stage Manager and students Ray Doss and Clare Orser, working lights, and Matthew Laslo-White running projection.