Stars will shine

on April 25
By Caroline Monday
cmonday@mountaintimes.com

One of the High Country’s most anticipated student-talent events is preparing to launch.

The Watauga Education Foundation has released its list of performers for Shooting Stars 2008, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser.

Shooting Stars presents the talent of the county’s young people through a performing arts event and a visual arts showcase.

The performing arts show will be held at Farthing Auditorium on the evening of April 25.

Visual arts entries will be on display at Boone Mall, beginning April 6. Winners of the visual arts competition will have their work exhibited at the Jones House April 28 though May 23.

The foundation held three days of auditions last week at Greenway Baptist Church in Boone. The judges saw auditions from 72 groups of students.

 
In the end, only 29 acts could be selected, though event organizer Allison Idol, said she wished they could all be in the show.

Organizers pack the performances into a two hour show.

Each school in the county can send up to 14 acts to auditions.

Each of these acts has performed in school-wide talent shows before auditioning for Shooting Stars.

 
Idol said the students presented a wide-ranging variety of performances last week, including everything from clogging to comedy routines to a yo-yo act.

Some students even performed poems and songs they wrote themselves.

The final selection is based on a point system that takes into account creativity, costume or appearance and overall talent.

 
Anonymous judges scored the performances and decided who will be able to perform in April’s show.

 
Idol said the final selection also takes into account what combination of acts will make for a well-rounded show.

Each school and many different genres of performing arts will have a presence in the final event.
“It’s going to be a great show,” Idol said.

Tickets for the performing arts event are now on sale at the Boone branches of BB&T and at the Farthing Auditorium Box Office.

Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students and Watauga County Schools staff.

All proceeds from the event go to sustain the Watauga Education Foundation’s many efforts to support education in the county’s public schools.

The foundation has supported education in Watauga County for nearly 20 years, awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to Watauga County school teachers to fund projects and programs that fall outside state and local budgets.

Sponsorship opportunities for Shooting Stars are still available.

To learn more about how you can support the Watauga Education Foundation, contact Melanie Bullard at (828) 268-1273 or go online to wefnc.org.