Click to get your ticket to Upper West Side’s Got Talent!
A young hip-hop artist who’s survived homelessness and uses music to share his testimony. A longtime music teacher and mentor stepping into the spotlight. A 9-year-old Bangladeshi-American who sings uncannily like a grown-up pop star.
Those are just some of the talented New Yorkers who will battle for the top prize at the UPPER WEST SIDE GOT TALENT show on June 8 at 7 PM. It all goes down at the Goddard Riverside Bernie Wohl Center at 647 Columbus Ave. (between 91st and 92nd). Tickets can be purchased here.
Eight amateur performers will share their song or dance stylings in front of a live audience and a celebrity panel of judges, including Broadway’s Aneesa Folds. The winner will walk away with $1,000; the second- and third-place finishers will pocket $500 and $250, respectively. The audience will vote on a separate Audience Choice award.
“We’re hoping to make this an annual tradition,” said Community Arts Manager Manon Manavit. “These are ordinary people—maybe even your friends or neighbors—taking a leap of faith. And they are amazing.”
The finalists below were chosen over two days of auditions in April.
Jamale Jay (Instagram: @jamalejay): An alternative hip hop artist who uses his music as an outlet to share his testimony.
Gloria Anderson (@sheistheglo): A soulful vocalist, lyricist, painter, songwriter, author, and actor who has performed throughout the tri-state area singing Jazz, Gospel, Pop, and R&B for three decades.
Amira B (@amirabmusic): This Egyptian-born singer/songwriter moved to NYC at age 7, began as a classical pianist, and was exposed to different musical genres which changed her trajectory forever.
Ellanie: At 16, Ellanie is a soloist and section leader in her choir, president of the Latin Student Alliance and founder of Women of the Carribean; her passion for addressing economic and social disparities comes from her identity as proudly Latin American from a very blended family which influences her music taste and style.
Alana & Rory Deller (@lanalunamusic @rory_deller): A brother and sister duo from a musical family, Alana and Rory are passionate about raising awareness and advocating for mental health in the UWS community.
Azmeen Mahmood (@mahmuda_mary): Nine-year-old Azmeen is “a brilliant and kind person who loves helping others, and traveling”; her dream is to one day perform at the Grammy awards show.
Groove with Me (@groovewithmeinc): Groove With Me is a free dance school for girls in Harlem ages 7-16; they’ve been supported by Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, and Hoda Kotb, with multiple appearances on the Today Show.
Oliver Kim (@oliverkim.music): 15-year-old Korean-American singer-songwriter Oliver Kim’s other passions include basketball, fashion, and creative writing; he is proud to share the values of equality and compassion within the performing arts community.
The celebrity judges include Folds, who’s performed on Broadway as an original cast member of Freestyle Love Supreme, which won a special Tony Award. She also appeared in the World Premiere of Trading Places. Also on the judges’ panel is Francisco J. Núñez, a MacArthur Fellow and the artistic director/founder of the acclaimed Young People’s Chorus of New York City. Goddard Riverside President Roderick L. Jones rounds out the panel.
The event will be a “transformative live experience where people will be pouring their heart out,” says Manavit. “You need to be there so you can vote!”
