When 15 top amateur acts battle for prizes this week at Morristown Onstage, they will be judged by a panel of talented pros, including two well known Morristown musicians.
Singer-songwriter Eric Hayes has performed with Martin Sexton, the Allman Brothers and Rachel Platten, among others, and his inspiring comebacks from crippling injuries are the stuff of TedX talks.
David Welsh, a co-founder of Morristown-based Normandy Real Estate Partners, plays keyboards in several bands, and co-owns a local recording studio and one of Pittsburgh’s top music venues.
They are joined by David Tamaki, a former dancer with the New Jersey Ballet Company who is working with Columbia University to research the benefits of dance for individuals with Parkinson’s disease; and Terrie Carr, program director and mid-day personality for WDHA/The Rock of New Jersey.
“We are thrilled to have this panel of professional judges and are looking forward to another great night celebrating great talent and great schools here in Morristown! We are grateful to our community for their support of this event,” said Molly Servais, chairperson of Morristown Onstage.
Showtime at Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center is 7 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. The 1,300-seat theatre sold out quickly, but a few last-minute tickets have been released.
Now in its 12th year, Morristown Onstage is a benefit for programs in the Morris School District. The show aims to top last year’s fundraising record of $143,000.
The competition is open to amateur performers who live, work or study in Morristown, Morris Township or Morris Plains, and to graduates of Morristown High School.
Prizes of $1,000 will be awarded to the judges’ picks in the 18-and-under and 19-and-older categories.
Performers will be evaluated according to five criteria:
1. POISE: Do they perform in a self-confident manner and with composure
2. STAGE PRESENCE: Do they command with impressive style or manner
3. INTERPRETATION: Do they perform with creative meaning
4. SUITABILITY: Is the piece appropriate for the performer
5. GENERAL PERFORMANCE: A general, overall rating
The audience also will vote by text message for their favorite act, a $500 prize. And the Morris Educational Foundation, organizers of the show, will bestow the $250 Rossoff Rising Star award to the performer they deem most promising.
Once again, the emcee will be Tara Bernie, senior correspondent for DailyMailTV and a Morris School District parent.
Here is more about this year’s panelists, from the Morris Educational Foundation:
DAVID TAMAKI
David serves as Director of Advancement for the New Jersey Ballet Company.
He leads NJ Ballet’s “Dancing for Parkinson’s Program” which provides free, weekly dance classes for individuals with Parkinson ’s disease. Prior to his role as Director of Advancement, David was a principal dancer with the New Jersey Ballet for 11 years.
He is an Associate Faculty member at Columbia University and was awarded an Innovation Scholarship from Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies to conduct research on the benefits of dance and Parkinson’s disease. David is a summa cum laude Bachelor of Arts graduate from Saint Mary’s College in California and holds a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University.
TERRIE CARR
Terrie is the Program Director and Midday Personality at WDHA/The Rock of New Jersey where she rocks the Garden State every weekday between 10 and 3pm. With Terrie’s guidance, WDHA plays a wide variety of rock music from classics like Led Zeppelin to new bands like the Grammy nominated Greta Van Fleet and everything in between.
For over 20 years, Terrie has been interviewing mega rock stars such as Slash, connecting with listeners, helping homeless animals with her Rock and Ruff Feature and interacting with the community and advertisers. In her free time, Terrie loves checking out live music, volunteering her time with local animal shelters as a host and voice for the furries, hanging with her own pups and managing her voice over business. Tune in middays and join the DHA rock and roll party hosted by Terrie Carr!
ERIC HAYES
Hailing from Morristown, Eric is so much more than your all-American musician as a soul singer, piano player and Tedx speaker who combines art, story and song in perfect unison. Throughout his career, he has won over the hearts of music lovers performing at a variety of venues while recording new singles and sharing the stage with some of the world’s finest musicians. Eric’s credits include collaborating and performing with several big name artists such as Rachel Platten, Gavin Degraw, Junior Mack, John Mayer, the Allman Brothers and Reggae legend Ziggy Marley. He is well known for his musical charity work and has headlined at exclusive events such as an annual ASPCA charity event and headlined the opening dinner ceremony for the United States Olympic Wrestling team. A William Patterson graduate, Eric has been featured in many media publications such as the New York Village Voice, the New York Post and the Star Ledger.
DAVID WELSH
David is a Founder and Partner of Normandy Real Estate Partners based in Morristown with offices in New York City, Boston and Washington DC. He is an accomplished musician and investor in several music venues and recording studios. As a student at Penn State in the 90’s, David was the keyboardist in the band “Out of The Blue, one of the most successful bands to have come out of State College, PA which toured the east coast college circuit with bands such as Rusted Root, Blues Traveler and Dave Matthews Band. He co-owns Pittsburgh’s premiere, live music venue, Mr. Smalls Theatre and Funhouse, as well as co-owning Griffin Lane Productions which operates state of the art recording studios in Morristown and Pittsburgh. David continues to perform as a keyboardist in several area bands and currently serves as Trustee for the Mayo Performing Arts Center, the Peck School and Cornerstone Family Programs.
Fifteen top amateur acts from Greater Morristown will compete for cash and glory in the 12th annual Morristown Onstage, on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $29-$79. Proceeds benefit the Morris Educational Foundation. Call 973-539-8008.
PERFORMER PROFILES, AND MORE COVERAGE, OF MORRISTOWN ONSTAGE 2019
