Windham County's Got Talent, 2020

PRESENTS

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Roger Mensa

flyboy mystro

tess bogart

Briana chowning

Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 6:30-8:30p.m.

ben pratt

Julie Cermola & Kurn Hattin CrazeFaze Neil Blanchette MonarchS Dance Crew Cornerstone Sponsors

Sofia Bianconi

Casey Haynes

Carly Gallivan

Logan T. Boyd

Windham County’s Got Talent Saturday, January 25, 2020 | reformer.com 2

Meet our MC

William Forchion __________________________________________________________ William Forchion: director, producer, poet, clown, acrobat, stuntman, father, friend, minister, coach, writer and teacher, all in one package. He is fueled by his desire to inspire and entertain. William Forchion creates art that connects with the audience, to promote emotional, spiritual and mental growth. William is the author of “Billosophy: meditations on God, movement and miracles,”“Sacred & Sacrosanct: a collection of poems” and his latest project, “#ApoemAday,” a year-long project of daily poems. William grew up in Hammonton, N.J., where life on a farm nurtured his creative imagination. In 2017, William was selected to be a U.S. State Department cultural exchange Ambassador for the Arts, making two trips to Turkmenistan. The proud father of three beautiful children, he has called Brattleboro, Vt., home since 1998.

Meet our judges

Kristen Ziter Taylor _________________________________________________________________________________________ Kristen Ziter Taylor is Owner/Broker of Brattleboro Area Realty. Being a native of Brattleboro, Kristen loves owning a business in her home town. Brattleboro, and its surrounding communities, has been good to her and her business, and she knows it’s because of her amazing co-workers that her real estate company thrives. There is not a day that goes by that she is not appreciative of them all. Kristen is a mom to two wonderful girls, 14-year-old Kali and 12-year-old Kennedy. They are dedicated swimmers, and practice year-round. Their determination shines at their swim meets. Perseverance seems to be in everything they do. Kennedy trained for a year to prepare for her talent in the Winter Carnival 2017 Princess Pageant. Listening to “Eye of the Tiger” a thousand times paid off because she took first place. Kristen is surrounded by dedication and perseverance. Her husband Ken is, without doubt, one of the hardest working men she has ever come across. So when asked to be a judge for Brattleboro’s got Talent, she jumped out of her seat with a heartfelt “Yes!” She is thrilled to be a judge this year, and admires all of the contestants for being able to stand up on stage and perform. Bring on the talent!

Nola Sciacca ____________________________

Sabin Sciacca ____________________________

Nola Sciacca is in the 7th grade.

She loves horses and competes almost every weekend during the summer. Basketball, field hockey and skiing are a few of her favorite sports. Nola has been the voice of Brattleboro Subaru (her dad’s business) for the past six years, doing most of their radio ads. She hopes to become a veterinarian some day.

Sabin Sciacca is in the 4th grade.

He loves anything with a motor: four-wheelers, snowmobiles and even lawnmowers! Basketball and baseball are his favorite sports. He loves attending Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots games. He hopes to play in the NBA some day, but if that doesn’t happen, his second choice is to be a farmer while running Brattleboro Subaru in his spare time.

Sarah clark ___________________________

Tonya Lee ___________________________

Sarah Clark is the new Assistant Director of the Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department, which includes Activities Coordinator for the Brattleboro Senior Center. She attended Brattleboro Union High School and went on to get a degree in Sports Administration and a minor in Communications from Castleton State College (now University).

While at Castleton State College, Sarah played lacrosse and was involved in many other programs and activities. After college she was the Program Coordinator for the Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department for three years. She looks forward to meeting and working with you all over the years to come!

Tonya Lee is a full-on rural Alaskan girl, who took a leap of faith and relocated to this area following her brainiac 12-year-old daughter, who is attending school in Greenfield, Mass. Tonya has had a blast exploring new things, like the circus arts and gardening, as well as her old favorites of skiing, hiking and riding her horses in the woods. She is a mother of one daughter, two horses, one cat and an adorable Great Pyrenees.

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Tess bogart

Briana Chowning

Ben Pratt

Whitingham, Vt. ____________________________ Roger Mensa is a student from Spain who is living in the Windham County for this school year and attending the Academy at Charlemont in Charlemont, Mass. Since he can remember, he has been taking piano and music theory lessons. Music is such an important thing in his life and he is so happy to be able to continue with it during his stay in Vermont. He is also taking lessons here with a local piano teacher. Last month, he played at the Red Door Concert at St. Mary’s in the Mountains in Wilmington, Vt., and got an enthusiastic response from the audience. He is so excited to take part in this talent contest!

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Marlboro, Vt. ____________________________ Tess Bogart is an 8th grader at Marlboro Elementary School. She is as at ease performing as she is in life. She has been dancing for many years, honing her craft during class at the Brattleboro School of Dance, through gymnastics as the Brattleboro Recreation Center and by practicing in her room.

In addition to dancing, Tess is an avid reader, plays violin and is an accomplished young poet. Her work has been part of a curated show of young poets at the Brattleboro Museum of Art, as a special guest at Poetry Out Loud at Brattleboro Union High School, a performance at the River Garden and many shows at the Poetry Studio in Marlboro. Tess‘s work will soon be published in a new book on young poets from the Studio.

Tess thrives in school, loves her friends and likes to play her music louder than her younger brother and parents would like at home in Marlboro. She doesn’t let Down syndrome define her and won’t stop striving for her goal to dance on stage.

Stoddard, N.H. ____________________________ Like most magicians that you see today, Ben Pratt fell in love with magic at a very young age. He grew up in the very small town of Stoddard, N.H., with a population of less than 1,300 people, and far away from any big city or access to any magical props. However, that never stopped him from living his dream of performing this mysterious art. At the young age of 7, Ben saw his favorite magician, David Copperfield, saw himself in half on television. From that point on, Ben’s perspective on life was flipped upside down. Today Ben has left audiences amazed wherever he goes. He has performed all over New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts, and even in a few spots on television! From the moment he walks into a room ready to perform, to the moment he leaves, he will always leave people begging for more. Don’t hesitate to see Ben perform. This guy is one to remember!

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Brookline, Vt. ____________________________ Briana Chowning has lived in Vermont her whole life, and most of that time she has spent singing. Singing is something she has always loved. She was in chorus in elementary school and joined chorus in her sophomore year after performing for Hat’s Off at Leland and Gray. She sang three songs there, and it was the first time anyone — even her family and friends — had ever heard her sing alone. She auditioned for District Choir in both her sophomore and junior year, and will be practicing for that later this month. She and her friend Warren Lucas wrote and recorded a song in September for a school project called “Nobody Knows” and posted it on Soundcloud. She hopes to release an album with him this year. When she isn’t singing, she’s writing music or playing music to her dog Loki.

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|Saturday, January 25, 2020

Roger Mensa

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Rockingham, Vt. ____________________________ Sofia Bianconi, 12, is a resident of Rockingham, Vt. She lives in the woods with her family and two dogs. Sofia loves to perform.

She has been a member of several choirs and performed throughout the New England area. Some of her performance highlights include singing the National Anthem at Fenway Park, singing at the Vermont Statehouse and most recently as a soloist with the Vermont Music District VI Festival Chorus. Sofia has been singing since she can remember but only learned to play the ukulele two years ago, and is self taught. Her inspiration is Mxmtoon. Sofia enjoys performing for family and friends. Recently she created a playlist to start performing at other venues. Sofia has written several songs and is interested in beginning vocal lessons. When Sofia is not creating music, she can be found at a rink playing ice hockey, on a field playing soccer or lacrosse, or in an 8th grade classroom at New England Classical Academy. Her dream is to perform for this amazing competition!

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Casey Haynes

Brattleboro, Vt. ____________________________ Casey Haynes is a self-taught cyr wheel artist originally from North Carolina. Unable to choose between a “traditional” career path and a life of performance, Casey figured “why not both?” and now works as an administrator at the New England Center for Circus Arts.

Casey is applying to join the Boston Circus Guild as a professional performer, and as of this reading, he may or may not have been invited to auditions or accepted into the Guild. Be sure to say “Hi” to him after the show and find out if he made it!

Brattleboro Area Realty is a proud supporter of

Windham County’s Got Talent

BRATTLEBORO AREA REALTY | 402 CANAL ST., BRATTLEBORO VT 05301 802-257-1335 | INFO@REALTYVERMONT.COM | WWW.REALTYVERMONT.COM

FlyBoy mystro

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Crazefaze dance crew

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Greenfi eld, Mass. ____________________________ Crazefaze Dance Crew is an all-female hip hop dance crew from Western Mass., made up of talented dancers committed to hard work, dedication, persistence, and teamwork. Rebecca Bustillos, choreographer and director of Crazefaze, was born and raised in Brattleboro, Vt. Hip hop saved her life, and she loves to share her passion, teaching all over Western and Central Mass. Crazefaze has been together for 15 years. From hip hop to breaking, Crazefaze continues to wow audiences with their high energy and amazing stunts.

|Saturday, January 25, 2020

Brattleboro, Vt. ____________________________ FlyBoy MyStro is an independent artist creating his own music and songs. Born in Vt., his passion for music began at age 11. He participated in chorus and musical activities in school.

MyStro soared in the Young Americans music program, creating his own works and performing live. For many years, he has joined the Jazz Center of Brattleboro at their annual camp, where musicians and jazz artists come together to work on skills and develop shows. About four years ago, FlyBoy MyStro won the Vibe Lounge event in Long Island, N.Y. Moving through Hip Hop Season showcases, he started working with Power is Industry in New York City to perfect his stage presence and share his musical creations. FlyBoy MyStro recently sat down with producer Amadeus, professor of industry, bad boy record producer, drummer and band manager for Trey Songz. They released two songs, “Rolling Up” and “Distant Lover,” now available on iTunes.

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Kurn hattin Monarchs Dance ensemble

Westminster, Vt. ____________________________ Since 1894, Kurn Hattin Homes for Children has helped thousands of children and their families by offering a safe home and quality education in a nurturing environment. Its mission: Kurn Hattin Homes transforms the lives of children and their families forever.

The Kurn Hattin Monarchs Dance Ensemble, under the direction of houseparent and internationally acclaimed dance and movement director Shaun Edwards, is relatively new to the therapeutic arts milieu at the Homes.

The Monarchs have little or no dance experience prior to beginning their participation in the Ensemble, which splits the participants (half the student body) into three divisions: Monarch Minis, grades one through four; Monarch Open Dancers, grades five through eight; and Monarch Elite, select dancers in grades five through eight.

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Julie Cermola and Neil Blanchette

Springfield, Vt. ____________________________ Julie and Neil met about a year ago and have performed together a number of times. Both have been involved in music their entire lives. Julie has been in many singing competitions including Keene Idol and the last two years of Windham County’s Got Talent. Neil has played in his own band and has worked on original music. They hope to continue on this adventure and bring happiness in the form of music to all.

They learn elements of Pilares, ballet, contemporary dance, lyrical, improv and musical theater. Dance enhances a child’s life in many ways. The children show improvement in their overall physical, mental and spiritual health through their involvement in this art form. The children learn that if they don’t succeed, they need to keep trying in all aspects of their lives.

Carly Gallivan

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West Dover, Vt. ____________________________ Carly Gallivan, 16, has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She is from West Dover, Vt., and attends Brattleboro Union High School. She performs yearly in dance competitions and performances, and has won several titles and awards. She has learned many different kinds of dance, with acro being her favorite. In the future, Carly wants to continue to dance and perform.

When Carly is not dancing, she does gymnastics and works teaching dance and gymnastics.

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Logan T. Boyd

Wilmington, Vt. ____________________________ Logan Boyd is currently taking classes to secure a future in land surveying. He works at his family’s farm, The Boyd Family Farm, and at Cask & Kiln Restaurant in Wilmington, Vt., and does one-man musical sets for various establishments and private parties in the valley.

He is an avid hunter, snow boarder and hiker, and enjoys any time spent outdoors. He has been in many of the Wings Theater Productions and has performed in several of the Food Pantry Musical Nights that raise money for the Food Pantry. He has also participated in the Brattleboro Youth Rock Festival, attending a song writer’s workshop while there, and played a few nights at the Retreat Food Truck Rodeo. He enjoys playing music with family and friends and writes many of his own original songs. Music has always been a part of my life, starting with piano lessons when he was seven. He taught himself to play guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele and the banjolele. He enjoys any musical opportunities and looks forward to participating in Windham County’s Got Talent.

Below, please mark your choice for the best performer in this year’s Windham County’s Got Talent contest by filling in the circle next to their name. One vote per ballot and one ballot per audience member, please. Ballots will be collected after the final performance.

¡ 2. tess bogart

¡ 3. Briana chowning

¡ 4. ben pratt

¡ 5. Sofia Bianconi

¡ 6. Casey Haynes

¡ 7. Flyboy mystro

¡ 8. crazefaze dance crew

¡ 9. Kurn hattin monarchs dance ensemble

¡ 10. Julie Cermola and Neil Blanchette

¡ 11. Carly Gullivan

¡ 12. Logan T. Boyd

|Saturday, January 25, 2020

¡ 1. Roger mensa

Windham County’s Got Talent

Official ballot

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Windham County’s Got Talent reformer.com

Saturday, January 25, 2020 |

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