Morristown's Got Talent 2015 auditions

MORRISTOWN – More than 70 acts—from aspiring Broadway singers to middle-age rock bands—auditioned at Morristown High School Saturday to be one of the 16 finalists to perform in the eighth annual Morristown's Got Talent show.

Last year the popular fundraiser raked in $70,000 for the Morris Educational Foundation, the lead nonprofit partner of the K-12 Morris School District.

Saturday, seven volunteers from the foundation served as judges.

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"We choose the right show," said Debbie Sontupe, executive director of the foundation. "We look for a mix that gives the audience a scope of ages and types of talent."

They had lots to choose from. In the middle of the day, 11-year-old Sydney Familo of Morristown performed "Mean."

"It's a Taylor Swift song. I love her," Familo said after her four-minute audition. "I have to sing! I want to be something musical when I grow up."

In the hallway, a stream of others waited, many with the jitters, for their name to be called. Rich Klingman of Morristown, lead singer for The Bottle Openers, introduced the band's four players as guys who practiced in his basement on Friday nights. Then they broke into a rendition of "Wagon Wheel."

After them, Joe Sodano, who placed second in Morristown's Got Talent 2010, whistled his way through "Infernal Galop," the tune most commonly affiliated with the can-can dance.

When he finished, judges exclaimed, "Oh my God!"

"Hey, I was starting to dry out there," he quipped when he finished.

And so it went, with Isabella Petrucci, 11, of Morristown performing "Jar of Hearts," a song sung by Christina Perri, and Amy Albin, 16, of Morris Plains belting out "A Moment Like This," a song popularized by Kelly Clarkson.

"I'm a little nervous, especially since this is a really hard song," Albin said. "I don't think I can sing as well as Kelly Clarkson can but whatever."

The 16 finalists are to be announced Jan. 10 at Morristown High School, according to Event Chairperson Kim Pistner.

For the actual competition, to take place Feb. 25 at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on South Street, the judges will be professionals from the arts field, including producers, musicians, and dancers.

In a departure from the past, there will be two grand prize winners in Morristown's Got Talent 2015—one for performers age 19 and over and another for those 18 and under, according to Sontupe. Additionally, there will be an Audience Choice winner.

"It'll be fun for the audience to have a say in who wins," she added. "We'll do it via text voting."

Tickets for Morristown's Got Talent 2015, which is expected to sell out, will be available Feb. 1. They cost $25, $50 or $75. For more information, visit www.morrisedfoundation.org/morristownsgottalent

According to Sontupe, the Morris Educational Foundation has given the schools more than $1.7 million since it was formed in 1992.

Lorraine Ash: 973-428-6660; lash@njpressmedia.com