Events/Activities

Events & Activities Section

2010 KEAN IDOL AMATEUR TALENT CONTEST
VOCAL & DANCE

2010 Kean Idol Vocal Championship

Paige Copper of Greensburg won the Audience Choice Vocal Award on Friday, April 9 at the 2010 Kean Idol Amateur Talent Contest at the Kean Theatre. Copper, 11, performed "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" by Dionne Warwick.

Winning the Greg Maggio Judges' Choice Vocal Award was Jessica Saenz of Latrobe. Saenz, 17, performed "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone.

They were among the 24 finalists competing the 2010 Kean Idol Vocal Championship. As the winners, Copper and Saenz received the grand prize that includes studio time from Audible Images Recording Studio, a portrait session with professional photographer Rick Armstrong, feature story in Northern Connection Magazine and a trophy.

First runner-up was Lena Skeele, 12, of Slippery Rock. She performed "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline.

Lily Cogley, 14, of Butler was named second runner-up. Cogley performed "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables."

2010 Kean Idol Dance Championship

A lyrical dance performed by Faith Kraynik of Cranberry Township won the Audience Choice Dance Award on Friday, March 26 at the 2010 Kean Idol Amateur Talent Contest at the Kean Theatre. She performed a lyrical routine to "Defying Gravity" from the musical "Wicked."

Winning the Greg Maggio Judges' Choice Dance Award was Josef Hartman of Muddy Creek Township, Butler County. He performed a tap number to "Rhythmatic."

They were among 12 dancers competing in the dance segment of the amateur talent show and received the grand prize that included a portrait session with professional photographer Rick Armstrong; a $100 savings bond, courtesy of Parkvale Savings Bank; a feature story in Northern Connection Magazine and a trophy.

First runner-up was Michael Caye, 10, of Ross Township. He performed a jazz routine to "Jump, Shout, Boogie."

Sarah Kershaw, 12, of Cranberry Township was named second runner-up. Kershaw performed a tap number to "I Wish" from the movie "Happy Feet."

2010 Kean Idol Adult Vocal Championship - New Category!

Joel Smith of Follansbee, W.Va., and Monica Kramer of Monessen were the Audience Choice and Judges' Choice winners respectively in the 2010 Kean Idol Adult Vocal Amateur Talent Contest, which was held Sunday, March 7 at the Kean Theatre. They received studio time with award-winning Audible Images recording studio.

Smith performed "Cry Me a River" by Michael Bublé. Kramer performed "On My Knees" by Jaque Velesquez.

Selected as runners-up were Anne Louise Feeny of Pittsburgh, first runner-up and Makeba Branson of Swissvale, second runner-up.

Northern Connection Magazine is the signature sponsor. Pizza Hut, UPMC Health Plan, Audible Images, Armstrong, Schellhaas Funeral Home, Subway, Tom Henry Chevrolet, Gordon Food Service, Comcast Spotlight, and WPXI-TV are the event sponsors of Kean Idol. First National Bank and Parkvale Savings Bank donated the savings bonds.

The goal of the annual Kean Idol fundraising event is to raise more than $30,000 to benefit the St. Barnabas Free Care Fund. In 2009 alone, the Free Care Fund provided $4.2 million in aid to poor and low-income patients at St. Barnabas Nursing Home, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas.