Three More Acts Advance in the Bill Riley Talent Search at State Fair
August 17, 2018
Three talented Senior division acts (ages 13-21) have advanced to the Championship round in Bill Riley’s 59th annual Iowa State Fair Talent Search. Each act will perform again on Sunday, August 19. Three Sprout acts were crowned champions.
Seniors
The names, ages, hometowns and routines are:
Cassie Morse, 16, Altoona, Dance: Contemporary
Gary McCall, 16, Ankeny, Jazz Dance
Lily Gast, 18, Cedar Falls, Vocal Solo
Sprouts
The names, ages, hometowns and routines are:
Josie Hutcheson (10) and Ellie Weiss (10), Burlington, Acrobatic Dance
Lucy Gannon, 11, West Des Moines, Piano Solo
Sophie Beenken, 12, Mt Pleasant, Lyrical Dance
The Bill Riley Talent Search has put Iowa’s young talent on stages across the state each summer since 1960. Nearly 100 local qualifying competitions are held across the state and winners advance to the State Fair competition, where there are seven days of preliminary competition for Sprouts (ages 2-12) and Seniors (ages 13-21), followed by the semi-finals and, ultimately, the selection of one Senior Champion. The Sprouts do not compete beyond the semi-finals, but perform in the Championship Show as Sprout Champions set for Sunday, August 19 at 1:30 p.m. on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage sponsored by Pepsi and media sponsor CW Iowa 23.
More than $17,000 will be awarded to the Senior and Sprout divisions combined. The Bill Riley Talent Search is presented by Hy-Vee.
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Frequently ranked as one of the top events in the country, the Iowa State Fair is the single largest event in the state of Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country. Annually attracting more than a million people from all over the world, the Iowa State Fair located at East 30th and East University, just 10 minutes from downtown Des Moines is Iowa’s greatest celebration with a salute to the best in agriculture, industry, entertainment and achievement. “Nothing Compares” to State Fair Moments, August 9-19, 2018. For more information, visit www.iowastatefair.org.