Barbara Dooley, 2021 1st Place Winner of Chattanooga Seniors Got Talent
Ten talented senior adults will get the chance to shine on Sept. 13 as part of the 3rd Annual Chattanooga Seniors Got Talent variety show produced by the Morning Pointe Foundation in conjunction with Morning Pointe Senior Living at the UTC Fine Arts Center, Rowland Hayes Concert Hall.
Building on a 13-year tradition that began at Morning Pointe of Hixson, Morning Pointe seeks to showcase local senior talent and celebrate the young-at-heart.
Auditions for Seniors Got Talent Chattanooga are happening now through Aug.
5 for in-person auditions or Aug. 12 for online auditions. Details – including locations, times and how to upload a video of a senior performance – can be found at morningpointefoundation.com/seniorsgottalent.
Participants are not required to be Morning Pointe residents; anyone 62 years of age or older may
apply. Acts showcasing talents of all kinds are welcome, but should not exceed three minutes in length.
Ten seniors will ultimately be selected to perform in the big show.
The grand finale of Morning Pointe Seniors Got Talent Chattanooga will be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the UTC Fine Arts Center, Rowland Hayes Concert Hall. Greg Funderburg, anchor for WTVC Newschannel 9 morning/noon news, will serve as the master of ceremonies. The show will also feature local celebrity judges, including Nina Coppinger, music teacher for Cadek Conservatory and St. Jude School; Rodney Van Valkenburg, executive director of the Chattanooga Theatre Centre; Steve Darmody, award-winning Christian recording artist; and Carla Pritchard, owner of The Granfalloon, Adelle’s Creperie and Chattanooga Presents!
Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners. The overall winner will receive $500.
Tickets for the grand finale will be $25 and will go on sale in mid- to late-August.
Those who wish to inquire about VIP sponsorships should contact Morning Pointe Foundation Executive Director Miranda Perez at 423-238-5330.
"Last year’s showcase highlighted some amazing winners," officials said. "First place and the $250 cash prize went to Barbara Dooley with her piano performance of Brahms. Second place went to pianist Ernestine Eldridge, who played gospel hymns. Rhonda Atkins took third place with a hilarious comedy routine."
Morning Pointe also sponsors similar Seniors Got Talent competitions in Knoxville and Nashville,
as well as Lexington, Ky.