Bakersfield College hosted its first World’s Got Talent auditions on April 15 in the Performing Arts Center with a great turnout. With a wide variety of contestants that tried out, only 10 were selected to move on to the semifinals that were held on April 22.
The top six who were selected will move on to the finals, which will be held at the Performing Arts Center indoor theater on May 6. Paula Reynal, president of International Students Organizations and one of the lead organizers of the event, is hopeful that this will not be the last World’s Got Talent event at BC.
“We are hoping to make this an annual event,” Reynal said. “This is just a test to see how it goes and so far, it has gone very well.”
Unlike some competitions that are only open to singers or dancers, World’s Got Talent has been open to anyone who feels that they have talent, regardless of the type of talent they have.
“There has been a vast array of contestants,” Reynal said. “We have had poets, dancers, singers, bands, rappers, and even glow-stringers.”
Thus far, the event has been open to anyone who might want to watch. In fact, the finals will require audience participation to help decide who actually wins the competition.
“The finals will roughly take about two hours and will incorporate audience voting along with the judges votes,” Reynal said.
The judges have been comprised of various faculty members, all of which come from a diverse background. “This will make for an interesting evaluation of the contestants,” said Reynal.
Sponsored and funded primarily by SGA, the organizers of World’s Got Talent were also able to get quite a few local businesses to sponsor the event.
“We got some local businesses to sponsor us such as Rosa’s Italian Restaurant, Coconut Joe’s, College Coffee & Donuts, City Sandwich, and McDonalds,” Reynal said.
This was a major help as it contributed to the prizes that the top three contestants receive.
“The winners will win $300 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third.”
So far the semifinalists include the following: Quinn & Elizabeth (he plays guitar and she sings), Tucker (he sings and plays guitar), Tristen (she sings), Cody (he raps), Cornell (he sings and plays guitar), and Rayven (she sings).
“On the night of the finals, we will also be having guest performers, surprise faculty member performances, and performances from ISO executive members,” she said.
Being that this is the first event of its kind for BC, Reynal and her team of organizers are hard at work to make sure this won’t be the last year it happens.
“These types of events will hopefully not only inspire but provide a means for students to be more active on campus and also to become interested about events held on campus,” Reynal said. “Moreover, it is a good way to promote diversity here on campus and foster new friendships.”