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22 | March 15, 2018 | The tinley junction Life & Arts
tinleyjunction.com
Southland proves they’ve got talent
Sharon L. Filkins
Freelance Reporter
First place winner Madison Menchaca sang “Edge of 17.”
Photos by Sharon L. Filkins / 22nd Century media photos
They sang. They danced.
They got engaged?
The “Southland’s Got Talent”
event was the perfect
description for the program
produced at the Tinley Park
Performing Arts Center on
Saturday, March 10 by My
Covered Bridge Studios.
Produced in conjunction
with the Tinley Park-Park
District, and directed by
Daniel DeWalt, President
and Executive Director of
My Covered Bridge Studios,
the energetic, two hour
program kept the audience
laughing and applauding
throughout the evening.
Hosted by two Improv
groups, Kidz on the Bridge
and Graffiti on the Fourth
Wall, the show opened with
a jolt to the audience. As
Stephanie Reusze welcomed
the audience and began to
introduce the first skit, she
was interrupted by a young
man in the audience.
He stepped up on the
stage and knelt on one knee
in front of Reusze and proposed
to her and presented
her with an engagement
ring. As the audience reacted
with applause, the happy
moment was interrupted by
DeWalt who came out from
the wings and said, “What
is this? I am trying to run a
show here.”
Reusze told him she had
just become engaged and
DeWalt pointed to the young
man and said, “To who,
him? You can’t marry him,
you love Bobby Tervin.”
At that point, Samantha
Bryce, assistant director of
the program, came out and
admonished DeWalt for interrupting
such a special moment.
As a punishment, she
made him wear a long curly
wig until the first intermission.
By then it was pretty apparent
that it was all part of
the show and the audience
loved it. However, they were
kept in suspense about the
mysterious Bobby Tervin,
whose name was mentioned
by the cast several times
throughout the evening.
At the close of the show,
with the improv group on the
stage, Reusze admitted she
loved Bobby Tervin and the
group said, “Well guess who is
here, it’s Bobby Tervin.” With
that announcement, a young
man sitting in the front row
stood up and greeted Reusze.
Turns out Tervin is a longtime
member of the Graffiti
on the Fourth Wall ensemble,
but was unable to participate
in the night’s performance due
to his work schedule.
The second half of the
show featured the talent contest
with eight performances
by local performers including
singers and dancers. The
performers ranged in age
from ten years old to teens
and adults.
Taking first place in the
contest was singer, Madison
Menchaca, a resident of
Shorewood. She sang “Edge
of 17” accompanying herself
on the guitar.
Second place went to 14-
Tinley Park resident, Sarah Schudt, 14, took home second place with her solo rendition of
“On My Own.” A total of eight performers partook in the 2018 Southland’s Got Talent Show
on March 10.
year old, Sarah Schudt, a
Tinley Park resident who
sang a solo, “On My Own.”
Third place winners were
Tinley residents, Josh and
Anastasia Robieson of “The
Uh Ohs Band.” Anastasia
sang and played the guitar
while her husband, Josh, accompanied
her on a ukulele.
Winning Fourth place
with his dance routine was
Brian Giblin, a Tinley Resident
and also an actor and
member of the Graffiti on the
Fourth Wall improv group.
7th place went to the Makara
Rock Band composed
of four teen-age Tinley Park
residents; Victor Upreti,
Luka Ledic, Christian Acosta
and William Sobovzynsk.
“Chillin’ Like A Villain”
dancers, ten year old twins,
Galena and Grace Gojkiovich,
from Orland Hills, captured
8th place with their
dance routine.
DeWalt said he was
pleased with the performances
of all of the contestants.
“I think the audience
was entertained. I had a lot
of compliments on the show
as people were leaving. We
don’t usually combine the
two improv groups but it
went well,” he said.
Under DeWalt’s direction
the My Covered Bridge
Companies have been teaching
acting and improv classes
and producing live theater
in the Southwest Suburbs
since 1993. In addition to
Tinley Park, there are studios
and theatres in other
suburbs including Midlothian,
Frankfort, Lemont and
Monee.
Classes are offered in Acting,
Comedy and Drama Improv
for younger children,
teens and adults. For further
information contact MyCoveredBridge@aol.com
or call
(708) 371-5432.