Staten Island's Got Talent

I've been involved in the performing arts for as long as I can remember and have always been surrounded by amazingly talented people. Both my We Dance For Dreams and The HOPE Project benefits involved talented Staten Islanders. So, I you can guess you can imagine how excited I was when I got a call from Vanessa Morro to be a celebrity judge for the first ever "Staten Island’s Got Talent" contest, which was set for just one week after the Miss NY Pageant.

The contest was co-sponsored by the Grace Foundation and part of the night's proceeds would be donated to them. Watching talented individuals from Staten Island AND raising money for a great cause… obviously I was in!

The morning of the show I attended my boyfriend's FDNY Family Day. I made it to the St. George Theater just in time to change, fix my make up. Right before the show, I went to check in with Vanessa and got an awesome surprise. The original host of the show, Gracelynn Santos, was not able to make it, so her last minute replacement was none other than the newly crowned Miss NY 2014, Kira Kazantsev! The night was already turning out perfectly and the show hadn't even started yet.

I then had a chance to meet  and chat with my fellow judges: Marissa Pontecorvo from American Idol and Jay Montgomery, founder of the Harbor Lights Theater Company who coincidentally was one of my judges at the Miss SI Pageant back in November. I loved them already!

It was so exciting to see my name on a judge's folder! What was more exciting was that I was sitting in the exact same place as the Miss NY Pageant judges had one week before when they were watching me. Sooo cool!

Once the show began, I was amazed to see so many young talented individuals. There were mostly singers with a few dancers in the mix. I have to say, my favorite act was Frank Morris who beat boxed. I couldn't believe my ears! He sounded just like a radio! I'm not sure if I'm supposed to disclose this information as a judge, but he definitely got high scores from me. The acts were all wonderful with contestants ranging in age from about 6 to 70. I was so impressed! Kira was an incredible emcee, too, and I was having the time of my life.

In the end, the prize winners were:

3rd Place: Angela Gianina (Singer: "Human")

2nd Place: Frank Morris (Beat Boxer)

1st Place: Sami Jo (Singer: "Blues Is My Middle Name")

After the show, I was able to go backstage and meet some of the contestants. I even gave my business card to a few of the girls, encouraging them to check out the Miss Staten Island web page and consider competing! I can never say enough about MAO and I take every opportunity to bring other young women into the organization.

Thank you Vanessa and the Grace Foundation for having me. It was an experience I will never forget!