This Valley-wide talent competition is the perfect opportunity to showcase your talent! If you sing, dance, play an instrument, juggle, do magic, comedy, or another self-contained novelty act, here's your chance to perform at the McCallum.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the grand prize, 2nd place and audience choice award winners. In addition to the cash award, the grand prize winner will be featured at a McCallum Theatre event!

Cash Prizes:
  • The Helen Turner Grand Prize Award - $2,500
  • 2nd Place Award - $750
  • Audience Choice Award - $750
Finalist stipends:
  • Solo - $100
  • Duet - $200
  • Small Group - $300
  • Ensemble - $500
Finalists will appear on stage at McCallum Theatre in four performances. At the 7pm performance on Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19 and the 2pm performance on Saturday, April 20, the audience will participate by voting. Audience votes will carry the weight of one judge’s vote in the final performance at 7PM on Saturday, April 20, where winners will be announced.


How to Enter

Deadline for receipt of entries is December 3, 2012. Entries should be sent to:

Joanna Fookes
Production Manager
McCallum Theatre Institute
73000 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260
  • • There is no cost to enter Open Call.
  • • Complete and submit one application form per entry.
  • • A maximum of (2) entries are allowed per performance group or individual.
  • • Submit your performance piece(s) on DVD or CD.
  • • Submitted DVD/CD should include only your entries.
  • • All materials must be clearly labeled with the performer's name and title of performance piece.
  • • Maximum length of performance piece - (5) minutes
  • • No off color language allowed.
  • • Once your entry is received it will be reviewed by a screening panel.
  • • Approximately (70) entries will be selected for live auditions.
  • • If your entry is selected you will be contacted no later than December 12, 2012.
  • • Participants selected for live auditions will perform live before an audition panel.
  • • Finalists will perform for a live audience at McCallum Theatre in four performances on Thursday, April 18, Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, 2013.

Who Can Enter

  • • All performers must be at least (8) years of age.
  • • All performers must reside within a 45 mile radius of McCallum Theatre.
  • • All performers must be non-professionals, i.e. you may not generate fifty percent (50%) or more of your wages from performing.
  • • All performers must commit to the entire rehersal / performance schedule.

Performance Requirements

  • • Performances must be totally self-contained.
  • • A piano, microphone, and sound system will be provided by McCallum Theatre.
  • • Props are permissible, however the placement of the props must be completed within 2 minutes. All props must clear the stage immediately following the performance. No littering of the stage is allowed.
   
Note: Open Call 2014 rehearsals and performances are scheduled on Christian and Jewish holidays.

Deadline for entries:
January 3, 2014

Live auditions:

January 22 & 23, 2014, 5pm-9pm

Mandatory rehearsals:
April 11, 2014, 5pm-9pm
April 12, 2014, 9am-5pm
April 13, 2014, 12pm-9pm
April 14, 2014, 4pm-9pm
April 15, 2014, 5pm-9pm
April 16, 2014, 3pm-9pm

Performances:
April 17, 2014, 7pm
April 18, 2014, 7pm
April 19, 2014, 2pm & 7pm

Open Call Application
View Complete 2012 Performance
View Complete 2011 Performance
Open Call 2013 Finalists
Open Call Sponsorship Opportunities

Helen Turner Grand Prize Award
Emma Reinhart
Saxophonist, Carnival of Venice by Jules Demersseman

April Murphy
Vocalist, Someone Like You by Frank Wildhorn & Leslie Bricusse

Second Place Award
Whitewater
Band, Rolling with the Tiger by Adele, Paul Epworth, Frankie Sullivan & Jim Peterik

Audience Favorite Award
Emma Reinhart
Saxophonist, Carnival of Venice by Jules Demersseman

Arline and Seymour Kreshek Talent Achievement Awards
Vocal: Joana Ciurash
Dance: Christopher Hoggatt
Instrumental: Alexia Ceja
Specialty: Jessica Jordan

All finalists received Finalist Stipend Awards.

Open Call 2012 Slideshow
Open Call 2011 Slideshow
Open Call 2010 Slideshow
Open Call 2009 Slideshow
Open Call 2008 Slideshow
Open Call 2007 Slideshow

  The files above are in PDF format. If you do not have Acrobat Reader installed, you can get it here.
Joanna Fookes
Production Manager
Phone: (760) 346-6505 ext. 142
Email: jfookes@mccallum-theatre.org
 
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