By CALEB FOX
Staff Reporter
Soroptimist International of Oakdale is hosting a Talent Variety Showcase on Saturday, Aug. 24 with showings planned at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., staged at the Oakdale High School Theatre. The group’s inaugural Talent Variety Showcase last year yielded great success and inspired the continuation and improvement of the event for the community.
“There has been talk of an Oakdale talent show for some time now, and we just decided to go and do it,” said Soroptimist member and Talent Variety Showcase chairperson Colleen Hawks-Pierce.
The showcase is open to all ages and features a diverse cast of performers, including comedians, singers, musicians, dancers, and even an aerial act. Soroptimist International of Oakdale is still accepting performers for the showcase. To get involved and participate in the event, contact sioakdale@soroptimist.net.
Instead of creating a talent competition, Soroptimist International of Oakdale approached this event as a showcase since “no one should be a winner or loser for showing off their talent,” Hawks-Pierce said. “The real win is being able to perform.”
The show itself is “fast-paced and never has a dull moment,” Hawks-Pierce added, since it doesn’t follow the traditional notion of a talent show. Instead of acts performing one after another, the Talent Variety Showcase weaves together Saturday Night Live-type sketches and raps alongside participants’ performances to make the show more fluid, fun, and engaging.
“It’s going to be a great show,” Hawks-Pierce said.
Soroptimist International of Oakdale “is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls access to education and training to achieve economic empowerment,” Hawks-Pierce noted. This mission statement is shown through their work inside and outside the Talent Variety Showcase, including the annual Distinguished Young Women program, S-Club, Dream it Be it program, Live Your Dream program, and the many scholarships that they offer to students.
The money raised from ticket sales at the showcase will benefit the Soroptimist programs. Tickets, at $10 each, will be available at the door or can be purchased from any Soroptimist member.
