The brightest stars of Hilo will be showcasing their talents Saturday in the Palace Theater’s second annual variety show competition.
“A Night of Island Stars” is back at the Palace with 16 acts performing for a grand prize of $1,000, which will be chosen by three mystery judges.
This year’s finalists include Meili Aspen, Chloe Dellinger, Zoe Douglas, Lily Faria, Shayna Cohen, Hannah Kaplon, Josh Payne, Diego Gutierrez, Maddox and Maverick Wilder, Caden Muller, Sean O’Phelan, The Breaking Crew, Amelia Titus, Fae, Kiera Mazurik and Anika Valdez/Nahla Severance.
“We have three aerial pieces, a handful of young vocalists, instrumentalists and one break dance group that will be performing this year,” said co-director Phillips Payson. “We had about 45 people audition this year, and it’s hard to narrow it down. This is a super diverse slate of talent, with some people who have never performed here, which can be a huge step for them.”
Payson and co-directors Jenn Ing and Jennie Kaneshiro have been utilizing the time between auditions and the show to help finalists with their acts by offering feedback and mentorship to bring out the best performances.
“It’s a wonderful experience being able to start from the audition process and see how they grow in the six weeks before the show,” Kaneshiro said. “We work with performers, if they want the help, and it’s humbling to see them be open to taking risks and making adjustments.”
Since they co-directed the competition last year, Kaneshiro, Payson and Ing were able to see several performers return for the second year of auditions and witness tremendous growth in artistic abilities and stage presence.
“Last year, we worked with a young aerialist who placed third, and she auditioned again this year — seeing her artistic growth in just a year was nuts,” Ing said. “I feel like we get to unlock this growth in young people, and they are so excited to have their artistic impulses taken seriously.”
Local musician Hayden James won the first annual competition last year and will be returning to perform noncompetitively while the judges make their final decisions Saturday night. The performers will be evaluated based on creativity, stage presence, originality and execution.
“It is amazing being able to give local talent a big stage to shine and level up,” Kaneshiro said. “I love that we can give them the opportunity to do their best for all their friends, family and community.”
“A Night of Island Stars” is now an annual staple at the Palace and planning for next year already has started, according to Payson.
“Next year, we want to reach outside Hilo and host pop-up auditions in Pahoa, Waimea and Kona, so we can bring in more people who may not have access to the Palace,” Payson said. “There are so many people with unique talents and we want to bring them out of the woodwork. If they can’t make a trip to Hilo to audition, having a pop-up audition closer to them may be more encouraging.”
While the judges will choose the grand prize winner, all of the acts will be eligible for the Audience Choice Award, which will be given to the overall popular vote from the audience.
The one-night event will be emceed by Ku‘ehu Mauga of KWXX and begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are still available at the Palace Theater box office or online at hilopalace.com.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
