NEW HOPE CELEBRATES POSTPONES "NEW HOPE IDOL" COMPETITION

NEW HOPE, PA (March 15, 2007) -- Daniel Brooks, Coordinator of New Hope Celebrates announces that the 2^nd annual New Hope Idol competition has been postponed to a later to-be-determined date. New Hope Idol is modeled after the popular FOX television program American Idol. The contest invites aspiring singers, ages 16 to 22, to compete in front of a panel of entertainment professionals for the chance to win a New Hope Celebrates scholarship. Singers do not need to live in New Hope to participate. The first auditions of the 2007 competition were to be held on March 19 and 22 at The Stockton Inn in Stockton, New Jersey. Produced by Bob Egan Entertainment, New Hope Idol is hosted by the Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce, endorsed by the New Hope Borough Council and held in conjunction with the Somewhere Over the Rainbow weekend, the 4^th annual New Hope Celebrates gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered (GLBT) pride event.

 

"We plan to reschedule New Hope Idol for a time that doesn't conflict with the various local school musicals and graduation activities," explains Brooks, who is the proprietor of the Wishing Well Guesthouse in New Hope. "We moved the dates up a bit earlier this spring to shine the spotlight directly on the competition, rather than having the final rounds in the midst of the pride weekend festivities in May. It snuck up on our very busy volunteer committee though and we failed to get the word out to the area high school music departments in a timely fashion. The competition was immensely successful last year, so we are confident that the show will go on and we will focus all of our energy into a great production!"

 

Bob Egan, producer of New Hope Idol continues: "I was absolutely thrilled at how it all turned out last year. In addition to a great competition, our 'Idol' event really evolved into more of a workshop. Throughout the audition process our panel of judges was nurturing and encouraging, and offered the contestants constructive advice. It was incredible to see these young performers learn and grow right in front of our eyes."

 

The winners of the 2006 New Hope Idol competition were Karyn Peeples, a student at the Solebury School and Ryan Mancuso, a student at New Hope-Solebury High School. The two winners each received a $500.00 scholarship and the opportunity to perform on-stage during the New Hope Celebrates' Saturday Night Showcase on May 20, 2006.

 

Proceeds from New Hope Celebrates events support Fighting Aids Continuously Together (FACT Bucks County), the Human Rights Campaign and the Rainbow Room, a youth center of Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks County.