In May, audition season officially kicks off for the fifth annual Morning Pointe Foundation Seniors Got Talent variety show in Chattanooga.
This year, the age requirement has been lowered to 60. Any senior or group ages 60 or older can try out to compete at the big show on Monday, July 29, at 7 p.m., at the 650-seat Silverdale Center Creekside Theatre. The venue is part of the Silverdale Baptist Academy at 7236 Bonny Oaks Drive in Chattanooga.
Another change is an increase in prize money. The first-place winner will receive $1,000, with the second-place winner receiving $500 and third place winning $250. A People’s Choice Award will also be presented based on audience votes.
Acts have included singers, musicians, dancers, poets, comedians and more. Groups are limited to a maximum of six performers.
Seniors Got Talent is produced by the Morning Pointe Foundation (a nonprofit) in conjunction with Morning Pointe Senior Living, but contestants do not have to be affiliated with Morning Pointe. Most are not. Proceeds from show sponsorships and ticket sales support the Foundation’s funds for local college scholarships.
Auditions are being accepted online at morningpointefoundation.com/events/seniors-got-talent/. In- person auditions will run June 18-27 at local Morning Pointe Senior Living communities.
The final deadline for auditions is June 28. Ten to 12 senior acts will be chosen from the auditions to compete at the show. Contestants will be judged on technical ability, stage presence and professionalism, appearance/costume, difficulty of act and originality/creativity.
“We are so excited to see who auditions this year, building on last year’s momentum,” said Miranda Perez, Morning Pointe Foundation executive director. “If you are 60 years young or older and you have a dream to share your talent, this could be your big moment to shine! And as a bonus, you’re supporting an event that’s helping local students reach their own dreams.”
Tickets will be $10 and will go on sale in July.
The Morning Pointe Foundation hosts four Seniors Got Talent shows each year. Besides Chattanooga, shows are held in Franklin and Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as Lexington, Kentucky.
The Morning Pointe Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living founded by senior healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow. The 501(c)3 nonprofit was created in 2014 to provide caregiver support programs, sponsor educational awareness events and fund scholarships that advance the care of seniors throughout the Southeast. To date, the Foundation has bestowed more than 111 scholarships.