Are you a born entertainer? Then Okanagan’s Got Talent wants to see your flair

VERNON – If you've got talent and you dream of being a star and getting into the glitzy world of show business, the Okanagan's Got Talent wants to see what you can do.

Dubbed by organizers as the biggest talent show in the Okanagan, the Riviera Village Green Hotel in Vernon is holding Okanagan's Got Talent, giving anyone with any talent a chance to compete and break into the business.

The event kicks off on Oct. 6, and over the course of two months will see performers of any age and any talent audition in front of a panel of judges in the hope of getting through to the next round.

Event organizer Peter Kaz said 100 people have signed up already and will perform a host of talents from singers and bands, to comedians, magicians and more.

Kaz has worked in the industry for years and says the prizes available at the contest will enable wannabe stars to get that much-needed foot on the ladder.

"One of my first clients is still a mainstay in Vegas… performing at Planet Hollywood," Kaz said. Another client KnowleDJ has opened for musical acts The Weekend and Rihanna.

Just like talent contests on TV, acts will get around seven minutes to show off their skills to a panel of qualified judges.

"If you get the majority of the judges liking you you'll get a pass to the next round," Kaz said. A portion of the judges' score sheet is going to be audience reaction.

The contest starts Oct. 6 and will continue one day per week featuring nine or 10 performers each time. The finale is expected to take place in March 2020.

Finalists will take home over $10,000 in cash and prizes but more importantly, Kaz says the prizes are all actual things that any entertainer is going to need to get themselves to the next level, from photoshoots to studio time. The winner will also get a paying gig on the main stage of the Interior Provincial Exhibition in Armstrong in 2020.

Unlike on TV, Kaz says performers "won't be shamed in front of an audience," and the panel will give constructive criticism backstage.

There no charge to enter, and the contest is open to all ages.

"What's the harm in trying," Kaz says. "Like anything in life, limited minds lead limited lives (and) those who succeed go through a lot to get there."

Registration for Okanagan's Got Talent closes Sept. 26. For more information go here.

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